Kind of Not an Evil Queen
by AdFinem
Summary: Jezebel Riddle prefers to go by Jez Greensward, but no such luck. She's not openly hateful to nearly everyone-though there are many exceptions, like Miss Bossy-Squirrel Hair. She'll do anything for a Chocolate Frog. She's not exactly what people expect from Tom Riddle's devil spawn. GoF to partway through OotP. Draco/OC or Harry/OC?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

* * *

Harry Potter woke up to the sound of raised voices.

"Well, Ronald, if you would only just read Hogwarts, a History, then I wouldn't be yelling at you right now!"

Harry was thoroughly confused. In his groggy state, he recognized his best friend Hermione Granger's voice, and from her words he assumed she was talking to Ron Weasley, his other best friend.

"You don't have to yell at me, I said that!" Ron cried.

"Yes, I do, to get the message through to your thick head!" Hermione retorted.

Harry had a flash of memory—it was September First, he was on the Hogwarts Express after an eventful summer with the Weasleys. Suddenly, Ron punched him in the arm.

"Harry, mate, tell the madwoman that she's yelling at me—"

"I am not—"

"—and that it's okay to be wrong occasionally." Harry grinned and opened his eyes.

He saw a very cross-looking Hermione and a mildly annoyed Ron, who had a smile on his face nonetheless. Harry opened his mouth to respond when the compartment door slammed open.

"Well, look at this, boys. Potty, Weasel, and the Mudblood," a smooth voice drawled. Harry whipped around.

Draco Malfoy stood there, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle, as usual. Malfoy's arms were crossed across his chest, and his trademark smirk graced his pale, pointed features.

Ron made a rude hand gesture at him, to which Hermione said, "Ron!" and Malfoy said, "Mature, Weasel."

Malfoy uncrossed his arms and slipped his hands into his robes. "Anyway, just thought I'd drop by and ask if you three are entering."

Harry glared at Malfoy. "Entering what, Malfoy?"

Malfoy smiled maliciously, grey eyes glinting. "You mean you don't know? My God, Potter, my father told me ages ago, heard it off old Cornelius Fudge himself! So, again, are you entering?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, and Ron snapped furiously, "Shove off, Malfoy."

Malfoy smirked. "Don't get your freckles in a bunch, Weasel." He left the compartment with Crabbe and Goyle, after sending one last superior look at Harry.

"They can't even close the door, disgusting bastards," Ron swore, getting up and slamming it shut so forcefully the glass shattered.

"Ronald!" Hermione hissed, mending the glass.

"I'm not sure they know how to close it," Harry said, munching on a Chocolate Frog.

"Honestly, Ron, learn to control your anger a bit," Hermione said, rather condescendingly.

Ron glared. "Control my anger? Around that slimy git?"

"What about this thing we're supposed to be entering?" Harry asked.

"I'll bet anything that it has to do with what Bill, Charlie, and Mrs. Weasley were talking about at the station," Hermione said. The boys agreed, remembering the vague hinting the three had done while the train left the station.

At that moment, Hermione glance out the window. She shrieked. "Oh, goodness! You can already see Hogsmeade! We haven't even changed yet!"

Ron and Harry exchanged looks before sighing and digging out their robes. They followed Hermione's lead and bundled up with Weasley sweaters and scarves, as it was cold and pouring rain outside.

* * *

**Review and let me know what you think:) Next chapter has the OC in it. Please stick with it!**

**Preview of next chapter:**

"I'm in fourth year too," he said, extending his hand. "Harry Potter."

Her eyebrows shot up. "Harry Potter, huh?" Her eyes shot to his forehead, making Harry feel self-conscious. She shook his hand, and two things happened at once.

Harry felt his scar burn, just a flash, so that he barely noticed it. But it was enough to make him have to swallow hard and rub his forehead.

She introduced herself. "Jez Riddle."

**This chapter's really short, the rest are between 1.5k-3k words, that's what I'm going for.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

_"We are going to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."_

* * *

September flew by for Harry in his excitement for the Tournament to come in October. The highlights of his first week back at school had to be the first Defense Against the Dark Arts class, when the new, gruff and tough Professor Moody performed all three Unforgivable Curses, and Harry was able to fight off the Imperius Curse. That made him proud, but what made him laugh was when Moody Transfigured Malfoy into a snow white ferret—a scene that Ron had dubbed, Draco Malfoy, the Amazing Bouncing Ferret. The incident had earned Malfoy the nickname of Ferret, or Ferret-Boy among his enemies.

At last October came, and the time for the Tournament arrived. Luckily for the students, classes would end a half hour early so that they could have time to "look presentable" when the delegations arrived.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione had Potions last thing that day, with their least favorite teacher, Snape, who loathed them equally in return.

"A half hour less of Snape!" Ron exclaimed. "Thank Merlin for the Triwizard Tournament!"

Harry and Hermione laughed. The three were sitting in the Gryffindor common room, all dressed up, waiting for someone to call them out to the grounds to greet the other schools.

At last, a prefect arrived and called, "Everyone line up by year! Quickly, quickly! First years in the front, seventh years in the back!"

They marched out of Gryffindor Tower, down to the grassy cliff outside the front doors that overlooked the Black Lake. All four houses, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, and Slytherin, were lined up into a four corners fashion. The staff member stood in a straight line at the back of the students.

For about five minutes, the entire school stood silently in anticipation. Then Dumbledore's voice cut through the quiet:

"Ah, now, unless I am mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons is approaching!" This caused the students to break into chatter, searching for the arrivals.

A first year shrieked, pointing at the sky. "It's a dragon!" she cried.

"Don't be stupid," another said. "It's a flying house!"

The flying house was pretty close. It was actually a gigantic, powder blue carriage, drawn by 6 massive palominos with wings, soaring gracefully through the sky.

Well, gracefully until its landing. It bumped down with a colossal crash, causing the students to scream and scatter. Harry glimpsed a coat of arms—two golden wands crossed, with three stars coming off like sparks from the wand tips—before the carriage door was flung open, and a young boy leaped out. He held the door open.

Out stepped a woman, and immediately it became clear why the carriage was so large, because this woman was huge.

"Blimey, that's one big woman," Ron whispered. Harry nodded his agreement. The woman was so tall, the only other person Harry had ever seen that compared was Hagrid.

She was clothed in black silk and pearls, with short, dark brown hair and olive skin. Her black eyes swept across the rows of students in a regal fashion.

Dumbledore applauded, and the school followed his lead. The woman smiled.

"Professor Dumbly-dore," the woman greeted in a heavy French accent.

Dumbledore smiled at her. "Madame Maxime," he said, kissing her hand. It was comical, the way tall Dumbledore was dwarfed by Madame Maxime.

Madame Maxime nodded. "My pupils," she said, extending a hand to the carriage. About a dozen students filed out, all around 17 or 18. Harry heard a lot of wolf whistles and murmurs, and could clearly see why.

About eight of the students were girls—very pretty girls. In fact, they were absolutely gorgeous.

Ron ogled. Hermione tsked.

The Beauxbatons students were very poised and polite, each greeting Dumbledore with a proper sounding "'ello."

"It is an honor to have you and your students here, Madame Maxime," Dumbledore said.

A shout from the back of the Gryffindor area came out. "Look at the lake!"

The usually glossy black surface of the Black Lake was distorted with rough, choppy ripples. With a noise like a toilet plunger, the hull of a huge ship rose out of the water. It had a resurrected look to it.

"It's Durmstrang!" yelled Lee Jordan.

An enormous anchor dropped, and a plank was extended out to shore. Twelve boys and girls stepped off the ship and onto the grounds. They were dressed in blood red robes and cloaks of heavy black fur.

One man, obviously the Headmaster, stepped forward and embraced Dumbledore like a brother.

"Albus," he said warmly, smiling, though his smile didn't reach his steely silver eyes.

Dumbledore nodded. "Wonderful to see you, Igor," he said cheerfully.

He turned to the Hogwarts students as the other man acknowledged Madame Maxime. "Hogwarts, please welcome Professor Karkaroff and his students from Durmstrang!"

Hogwarts cheered, though the Durmstrang students looked rather awkward and uncomfortable.

Hermione giggled. "Look at his beard!" she whispered.

Harry and Ron checked, then burst out laughing. Karkaroff's goatee was blowing up into his face with the wind, which he impatiently pushed down continuously.

Karkaroff gave up, then turned to Dumbledore and said, "Albus, would it be alright if my students and I go inside to warm up before the feast? Viktor has a slight head cold, you see...Viktor? Come, let's go inside..."

A bulky figure stepped out from the Durmstrang students. Harry recognized the face from the Quidditch World Cup over summer.

Ron smacked Harry's arm. "Harry, it's Krum!"

Harry nodded. Ron continued. "No way, I had no idea he was still in school!"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Well if he's only eighteen, like you said before, then he should still be in school," she said matter-of-factly.

Ron opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by Dumbledore. "And that is our cue! Come, let's all get inside, we have a feast waiting for us!"

With that everyone on the grounds went on a rampage, headed for the Great Hall. Harry was pushed around.

"Hey!" he protested as he was elbowed in the ribs.

Then he was separated from Ron and Hermione. "Harry!" he heard Hermione call.

Harry continued to get pushed around, not quite able to find his footing, when—WHAM!

He was blown aside. He felt himself ram into someone, heard that person shriek, then felt himself collide with the grass. He groaned in pain and massaged his ribs.

Harry froze. There was something—someone—under his shoulders.

He heard a feminine groan. Harry looked down, then leaped up to his feet. "Oh, God, I'm so sorry, are you alright?"

He had landed on a girl, about his age, and she was lying on her back with her eyes closed. She groaned again, then opened her eyes and sat up groggily.

She studied him. "You know, for a smallish kind of guy, you can really knock a person over!"

Harry laughed nervously. "Yeah, I'm so sorry about that, other people were pushing me around."

"Huh," went the girl. Harry noticed that nearly everyone had gone in already. Ron and Hermione were probably wondering where he was.

The girl stood and brushed herself off. Harry realized that this girl was a Beauxbatons student, with her blue robes. Hers were a darker blue, more of a light navy, than the powder blue of the others.

"Are you entering the tournament?" Harry asked, curious.

She shook her head. "I'm a fourth year. I only came along because my cousin is entering, and she's one of Maxime's prized students. Giselle managed to convince her to let me come." She poked around in her robe pockets before locating her wand, examining it, and putting it back.

"I'm in fourth year too," he said, extending his hand. "Harry Potter."

Her eyebrows shot up. "Harry Potter, huh?" Her eyes shot to his forehead, making Harry feel self-conscious. She shook his hand, and two things happened at once.

Harry felt his scar burn, just a flash, so that he barely noticed it. But it was enough to make him have to swallow hard and rub his forehead.

She introduced herself. "Jez Riddle."

Harry tensed, and yanked his hand away. "Riddle, you said?"

She nodded. "I'm half-blood, if you're the type that cares." Harry nodded slowly, and removed his hand from the handshake.

Jez seemed to take no notice of his sudden wariness, she just turned towards the front doors and began walking. She glanced back at Harry.

"Aren't you hungry, Potter?"

Harry's mind was racing. The only Riddle he knew was Tom Riddle. And Tom Riddle became Voldemort. Perhaps it was just a coincidence, and the name Riddle was more common than he'd thought. But it couldn't be a coincidence that when she shook his hand, his scar flared.

"Potter, are you alright? The feast has probably started..."

Harry looked at her. She seemed harmless. Then again, so had the diary.

"Right behind you," he replied.

* * *

"You will not believe who I just met," Harry said, taking his seat beside Ron.

"Harry! Where have you been?" Hermione gave him a worried look.

"I just literally ran into a Beauxbatons girl—" ("Wow!" went Ron) "—and she introduced herself, and her name was Riddle." Their faces were shocked.

"Riddle?" Hermione asked in a small voice.

"Tom Riddle," Ron said grimly. Harry nodded.

"Do you think she might be related somehow?" asked Hermione.

Harry took a drumstick from the platters. "It's possible that she isn't, but listen to this: when we shook hands, my scar burned for about a second."

The other two gasped. "Harry, we should talk to Dumbledore about this," Hermione said.

"Maybe I will, but she didn't seem all that bad. I think we should just wait it out, see how she acts," Harry said, thinking of the way she reacted to meeting him. It was just like everyone else: look at his scar.

"Maybe, mate, but I'm worried," Ron said, taking an éclair from the desserts platters.

Hermione craned her neck, surveying the Great Hall. "Where is she, Harry?"

Harry looked to the Ravenclaw table, where the Beauxbatons students were sitting. Pretty girls...guys...Cho Chang...he didn't see Jez Riddle. "She's not at Ravenclaw," he said, and switched his gaze to the next table over, Hufflepuff.

"Harry, there's a girl by that Greengrass girl at Slytherin who I've never seen before, and she's wearing Beauxbatons robes. Is it her?"

Harry searched for who Ron was pointing out. Daphne Greengrass... "That's her."

She was having an animated conversation with Greengrass, and her eyes were lighting up.

"Harry," Hermione said suddenly. "Did she mention knowing Malfoy?"

Harry shook his head, and was about to ask why when he saw: Malfoy had snuck up behind her, and tickled her in the ribs. Her shriek was lost among the hum in the Hall, but the Trio watched as she smacked Malfoy playfully on the shoulder, then gave him a hug.

"She hugs the ferret?" Ron asked. "She has to be related to You-Know-Who."

* * *

** (Jez POV)**

"Jez, you still need to tell me how you managed to convince Maxime to let you come!" Daphne gave me a begging look, making me laugh.

"Well, my cousin Giselle is part of the delegation, and she's one of Maxime's prize students, along with Fleur Delacour. Elle knew that I would probably go mad if I had to stay at that boring school all year, all alone, and that if I came I would see you and Draco. So, she pulled a couple strings, and got Maxime to let me come!" I took a bite out of the delicious chocolate ice cream provided, and closed my eyes in contentment.

I heard Daphne giggle, and was about to ask her what was funny when I was tickled.

"OI!" I yelled, nearly leaping out of my seat. Daphne burst out laughing, and I heard a familiar chuckle from behind me. I felt my entire mood lift as I turned to face my other best friend.

"Draco Malfoy, you're a devil child!" I laughed, slapping his arm.

His grey eyes lit up and he laughed. Daphne looked shocked. "That is no way to greet a long-time friend, Miss Riddle," he said, mockingly shaking a finger at me.

I rolled my eyes and gave him a hug. "You're ridiculous."

Daphne coughed. "Um, Malfoy?" She seemed really confused.

Draco turned to her and gave her a curt nod. "Greengrass."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Why so cold, Malfoy?"

"Um, we don't really talk to each other—like, at all, Jez. Our only connections are pretty much you and Slytherin." Daphne sounded awkward. "And, um, I've never heard Malfoy laugh before."

Draco shrugged. "Nothing here gets me laughing. Only Jez and sometimes Blaise can make me laugh like that."

"And he has to keep up the mean, superior Malfoy act, too, right?" I said, poking his chest.

"Exactly."

* * *

** (Back to Trio)**

"Harry, she made Malfoy laugh," Ron said in wonder.

"She knows Malfoy...and her name is Riddle..." Hermione hinted.

Harry watched as Jez waved goodbye to Malfoy and Daphne Greengrass, and then stood and walked to the Ravenclaw table. She talked to a honey-haired girl before leaving the Great Hall.

"Let's keep a close eye on her," Hermione said with finality. She pulled a book out of her bag and immersed herself in it.

Harry and Ron exchanged those "oh, that Hermione" looks before settling and helping themselves to more dessert.

* * *

** I'm realizing that I've been page-break-happy this chapter. Sorry if that bothered you :)**

**What did you think of Jez? And her relationship with the students?**

**Preview of next chapter:**

My eyes flew open. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier? I already told them my name, at least if I knew I could have said Greensward, and pretended I was Elle's sister or something! Oh, shit, they know, they know, they know..." My heart stopped with another realization. "Shit, Harry Potter knows!"

**THANK YOU SO MUCH to sua chiwowa for favoriting my story, it makes me feel reaaally good to see that people are actually reading this:) Thanks!**

**(even that anonymous hate reviewer...thanks...? :)**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

_"There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways..._

_The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector: the Goblet of Fire..._

_I will be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire once it has been placed in the entrance hall..._

_An Age Line! Well, that should be fooled by an Aging Potion, shouldn't it?"_

* * *

At breakfast the next morning it seemed that the entire school had forgotten it was Saturday and woken early, eager to see the students entering the tournament.

Ron grabbed some toast for the three of them and they sat on an empty bench, watching the Goblet's fire as names were entered.

Laughter and cheering echoed down the entrance hall, followed by "Yeah!" shouted out by familiar voices.

"Fred and George are really going to do it, aren't they?"Hermione said with a sigh. Ron and Harry grinned at each other.

"All right!" Lee Jordan yelled, running into the Great Hall. "Come on, everyone, we're going to do it!"

Half the hall emptied and stood excitedly as the twins and Lee raised tiny vials, in a sort of toast.

"One drop each!" announced Fred.

"If we win, we split the prize money into three!" added George.

"Wish us luck!" Lee said, before all three downed their vials. Everyone cheered and shouted "Good Luck!"

Fred threw his vial away and leaped past the Age Line. The crowd held its breath in anticipation.

Nothing happened. Fred yelled victoriously and tossed his slip of parchment into the Goblet.

George roared with the crowd and followed his brother.

But just as Lee Jordan was about to do the same, the Goblet began to spit red sparks, and with a loud sizzle, the twins were thrown back out of the Age Line, and into the crowd.

"Bloody hell!" went Ron, running towards them. Harry and Hermione followed.

"I told you it wouldn't work—" began Hermione, but she stopped as she took in the sight before them.

The twins seemed unharmed; George had landed on a Beauxbatons girl and Fred had landed on George. But both boys were sporting incredible, thick, white, long beards that would make Dumbledore jealous.

With twin groans the two crawled to their feet. They blinked and looked around for a moment, before pointing at each other and joining in on the laughter of the crowd.

"You look so old!" George said, poking Fred's beard.

"I dunno, I think you look older," said Fred.

The Trio was laughing with the rest, and then Hermione gasped. "Oh, my goodness, the girl!"

They knelt down beside the poor girl that was George's landing cushion. She was still lying on her back, and her robes were wrinkled and slightly dusty, but her blue eyes were open, and dazed looking.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked.

She groaned. "It's a little bright, but I'll be fine."

The crowd began to disperse, some staying, some leaving, some getting more toast. One person ran forward.

"Elle! Are you okay?"

Harry's heart stopped and he looked up.

Jez Riddle stood there, looking worried, and she knelt beside the girl. She cradled her head and winced. "Elle, there's a huge bump right here," she said.

Jez glanced up at Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the twins. "Hi, Potter," she said, smiling quickly at him.

"Er, hi," he said, ignoring Ron and Hermione's panicky expressions.

Jez helped her cousin to her feet, then asked, "Is there a medical wing here?"

Her cousin, Elle, started to protest as Hermione answered, "Yes, but it'll be hard to find. I can take you."

"Really, I'm fine, just some rest, maybe a potion—"

"Madame Pomfrey can give you that and more," Harry cut in. "We'll come with you, Hermione," he added with an elbow to Ron's ribs.

"Nah, I'll take her," George said. "I feel sort of guilty—after all, my fellow friends, I am the one who knocked her over first!"

"You seem very proud of that fact," Jez noted. George shot her a look as Fred laughed.

"And who might you be, fair, witty maiden?"

Jez flipped her hair and gave an exaggerated bow. "Jezebel Riddle, kind old sir."

George stroked his beard. "I shall accompany you and your cousin to the hospital wing, Maiden Riddle, along with my slightly less humorous brother, Fred!"

Fred bowed. "Fred Weasley, the better-looking twin!"

Elle was laughing, Jez was laughing, Hermione rolled her eyes, Ron grinned, Harry gave a laugh and a smile, though he was still wary.

"Jez?"

Jez turned and her face lit up more. "Draco!"

Everyone else, bar Elle, tensed up.

Sure enough, the ferret was standing there, but his henchmen were nowhere in sight.

"Shove off, Malfoy," Ron said.

"Is that all you can say to me, Weasel?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Jez scoffed and went over to him. They talked in low voices, and the watching group saw Jez sigh loudly and begin to use hand motions.

After about two minutes of standing silently Elle called out, "Jez! My head hurts, we're heading to the med-wing!"

The dark haired girl looked over. "Just go, I'm talking to Draco!"

Elle shrugged. "Let's go, Red-beards."

As the twins and Elle left, Ron eyed the food in the Great Hall. "I'm going to get some bacon," he said. "Coming, mate?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and mumbled something about the library. She left up the marble staircase.

Harry put a hand into his bag, and his fingers brushed over the silky material of his invisibility cloak. If he stepped into the shadowy alcove right there...no one would see him vanish.

"I think I'll stick around a little bit," he said.

* * *

**(Jez POV)**

"Is that all you can say to me, Weasel?"

I scoffed. Honestly, will Draco ever be able to ignore the side comments, and man up a bit?

I walked to him. "Draco, what's up?"

He kept his glaring silver eyes on Elle and the others. "Why are you hanging around Potter and the Weasleys?"

My eyebrows rose up my forehead. "Really, Draco? One of the twins got blasted backwards and he knocked Elle over. They just stopped to see if she was okay, like any other decent person would do."

Draco switched his piercing gaze to me. "But they're Weasleys. And that squirrel-haired girl is a Mudblood."

"Who cares?"

"You should!"

I threw my hands up in frustration. "Ugh, come on, Draco, just because—"

"Jez!"

Both our heads turned to look at Elle.

"My head hurts, we're heading to the med-wing!"

"Just go, I'm talking to Draco!" I faced his grey eyes again. "Just because he was...that guy, doesn't mean I have to be just like him!"

Draco shook his head. "You should have lived with us, instead of the Greenswards." He looked up at me. "At least you'd have a better understanding of society that way."

I snapped. A quick glance around showed me that the entrance hall was pretty much empty. No one would hear me if I yelled quietly.

"Draco Lucius Malfoy—"

"Oh, so we're pulling out the full names? Fine, Jezebel Aliya—"

"Don't say it!"

I glared at him. "Just don't. Some of the other purebloods might put two and two together and figure it out." I sighed and leaned against the wall. Then I looked at Draco and asked, "Do you really believe him?"

His eyes became more guarded. "What do you mean?"

I pulled out my wand and twirled it between my fingers—an old habit. Draco looked wary. I shrugged. "Sorry. I mean, all that pureblood supremacist, Mudblood-hating, magic is might stuff. I know it's how you were brought up, but do you really believe in that?"

He scoffed. "Of course."

I studied his face, his eyes especially. His silver met my brown. And he shook his head ever so slightly. "To be honest, sometimes I find it ridiculous, but it keeps us safe, believing in your father, so I follow it."

I nodded slowly. Then I brightened. "Hey, let's do something fun!"

He raised an eyebrow. "Fun? Like what?"

"I saw a Quidditch pitch earlier, go grab your broom and meet me there in about 10 minutes!"

He laughed. "Flying? You'll lose again!"

"Ha! I let you win!"

We laughed. Some passerby looked extremely confused. Probably the sight of Draco laughing.

Draco became serious again. "But, really, Jez, don't hang around them. Second year, the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets was released, and turns out it was the youngest Weasley. And I think they might know about Tom Riddle, because I heard them talking about the diary one time."

My eyes widened. "His diary? What does that have to do with anything?"

Draco leaned in close and whispered. "It possessed her."

I was confused. Draco continued, "And of course, Potter is the one who saved her, so he knows Tom Riddle. My father told me all of this."

I closed my eyes. "Shit."

Draco leaned on the wall next to me. "Jez?"

My eyes flew open. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier? I already told them my name, at least if I knew I could have said Greensward, and pretended I was Elle's sister or something! Oh, shit, they know, they know, they know..." My heart stopped with another realization. "Shit, Harry Potter knows!"

I gave Draco a panicked look. "Draco, Harry Potter knows that I'm Tom Riddle's daughter!"

"Shh!" he said quickly. "What if they're still around? Then they'll know now if they didn't figure it out before!"

I slapped my hand to my forehead. "Oh, Merlin, I'm screwed."

Draco patted my shoulder. "Calm down, Jez." I gave him a look. I cannot calm down, is he mad? "Let's just fly for a bit, get your mind off things."

I shook my head, still in panic mode. My mind was racing. "But what if they tell someone?"

Draco looked me in the eyes. "Hey. You try your best to hide the fact, because you're not proud of it. You always said when we were younger, that you hated your parents because they left you. When you aunt and uncle told you who they really were, you decided that you hated your dad more, because of what he did, remember?" I stared at him, eyes blank.

Draco continued. "You made sure that you were nothing like him. So if they tell, and people treat you like you're the Dark Lord himself, then you just be you, and show them that you're harmless—well, aside from your brilliant magic skills."

I laughed. "Thanks, Draco."

He dipped his head in my direction, then added, "By the way, I would have told you about second year earlier, if you ever stayed at the Manor."

I snorted. "I can't do that! Your father would just call me the Dark Princess all the time, I hate it!"

Draco shrugged, and said, "You'll be in one wing, he'll be in another!"

"Draco..." I trailed off with a shake of my head. We left the entrance hall to fetch our broomsticks.

* * *

**(Third Person POV)**

Harry stood frozen under the cloak, thinking hard about what he had just heard.

* * *

**What do you think of Jez and Malfoy? How will Harry react to this accidental revelation?**

**Preview of next chapter:**

"Harry Potter."

"You're kidding," I whispered.

I joined the rest of the people in turning to stare at Harry Potter. The poor guy. He looked shell-shocked, and scared shitless like I would be. He turned and said something to his two friends, the Weasley and Squirrel-hair girl. They didn't respond.

**THANKS TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH TO:**

**The Dark Lady55**

**Lalirh**

**SiriuslyAmazayn(love the pen name by the way:)**

**Nadia Pintos**

**and Mad mind flip**

**for reviewing/favoriting/following my story! I get sooo excited when i see a new email from Fanfiction in my inbox. Thanks all!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

_I gave Draco a panicked look. "Draco, Harry Potter knows that I'm Tom Riddle's daughter!"_

_"Shh!" he said quickly. "What if they're still around? Then they'll know now if they didn't figure it out before!"_

_I slapped my hand to my forehead. "Oh, Merlin, I'm screwed."_

_Harry stood frozen under the cloak, thinking hard about what he had just heard._

* * *

** (Jez POV)**

The feeling of flying was exhilarating. Thousands of feet in the air, with no support but a magic broom? It's brilliant! Especially when you're going top speed.

Draco's platinum-blonde hair was like unbearably bright white fire in the sunlight. I keep telling him to color it something more natural looking, like a darker blonde, but he's always so mortified at the suggestion of dyeing his hair. He's such a girl sometimes.

Unfortunately, I'm only able to see his hair because he's in front of me.

Maybe I lied...maybe he really did beat me last time we raced. He does have the much better broom—a Nimbus 2000? My old vintage Silver Arrow is just a hair behind in speed. But hey, it was my mother's broomstick, I'd never trade it for anything.

Just because it's old, doesn't mean it's not fast. It's very fast. Draco always says that the only people I can't outfly are himself, the Ireland Quidditch team, Viktor Krum, and Harry Potter (the last name he added resentfully), and only because they're either pros or have better brooms.

And the broom, and the speed, is not everything in a good race. Yes, speed is nice and helpful, but you also need to know your opponent. Take Draco, for example. He likes to gloat, and boast, and tease. But to do so will crack his concentration. Like now.

He turned his head on his broomstick and flashed a smirk in my direction. "Come now, Jez, you're better than this! Give me a challenge, this'll be too easy of a win!"

He slowed, and evened out with me.

A smile ghosted my lips.

He's also too cocky.

"Here, I'll give you a head start," he said, pulling back more.

"You sure you want to do that?" I asked, grinning completely now as I slowed my own broom.

"Of course, I wouldn't want to—"

I laughed all out and blasted forward. I laughed even more when I heard Draco's yell of surprise.

I'll say this for him—he's an extraordinary flier. He didn't let the surprise get to him(too much) and he quickly regained speed. I could see his blasted hair in the corner of my vision.

But true to its name, my precious Silver Arrow flew straight and fast as an arrow sent from an archer's bow. I was first to cross the designated finish, the middle post.

"Not fair!" Draco called down to me as I touched down on the ground.

I looked up at him and grinned. "Do we ever play fair?"

He landed next to me and punched my shoulder. "Yes, with each other!"

I laughed at him, and he had no choice but to laugh with me.

"Good race, Malfoy," I said, patting his shoulder mockingly. He slapped it away.

"I let you win."

"Ha! That's what I said!"

"Let's just eat, they'll be announcing the champions tonight."

* * *

**(Third Person POV)**

"Impossible," Hermione said.

They were in the boys' dormitory, sitting on Harry's bed. The room was otherwise unoccupied, so Harry took the chance to tell Ron and Hermione what he had heard from Jez and Malfoy.

Hermione continued. "How could she be You-Know-Who's daughter, if he'd be about sixty, or seventy—even eighty!—if he were still alive today?"

"Maybe she's not human," Ron suggested. "Maybe You-Know-Who fed her phoenix tears or something when she was a baby, so she ages really slowly!"

Hermione scoffed. "Ronald, that is highly improbable and illogical. If a baby is fed phoenix tears, it would probably burn up. That can't be it."

Harry shook his head. "It doesn't make sense. But I think Malfoy may be right, and Jez isn't dangerous."

Ron and Hermione gave him "Are you mad?" looks. "Mate, this is the daughter of the Darkest wizard of all time, next to Grindelwald. You-Know-Who killed your parents!"

Harry rubbed his scar. "I know... but I feel like Voldemort might not have had much influence on her, because maybe he died when she was a baby?"

Hermione's brow furrowed as she thought. "I don't know, Harry—"

The dormitory door slammed open, making all three jump. Dean and Seamus bounded in.

"Come on, you lot, the feast is starting, they're announcing the champions!" Dean said excitedly.

The three exchanged glances that said, "we'll talk later" and followed Dean and Seamus out the door.

* * *

"The Hufflepuffs are confident in Diggory," Seamus said, eyes glinting. "Though, personally, I'd think that he wouldn't want to risk his looks."

The Gryffindors listening laughed around the food in their mouths.

"I really hope Angelina gets it," Hermione said.

Ernie Macmillan leaned over from his table and said loudly, "Gryffindor doesn't need any more glory! Ced will bring Hufflepuff the renown we deserve!"

The Hufflepuffs burst into loud cheering. Harry spotted Cedric Diggory down the table, red-faced and smiling as his rowdy friends around him cheered and thumped him on the back.

Hermione tapped Harry's plate with her fork. "Harry, look at the doors."

He turned his head and his eyes narrowed. Jez and Malfoy had just walked in, laughing. Malfoy said something with a grin, which made Jez push him away. They both laughed and Jez waved goodbye as she walked to the Beauxbatons students at the Ravenclaw table. Malfoy's grin faded and his cool mask returned as he made his way to the Slytherin table.

"You know, when he's smiling like that, Malfoy's not bad looking," Hermione said absentmindedly.

Ron and Harry looked at her, aghast. "Hermione, what potion are you on?" Harry asked in concern.

Ron was speechless.

Hermione shrugged. "I'm just saying, maybe we'd all find him more likable if he smiled like that more."

The boys gave Hermione disgusted looks. "Hermione, you should go see Madame Pomfrey," Ron said.

From the other side of Harry, Ginny cut in, "Oh, stop, Ron. She's telling the truth—Malfoy is incredibly attractive when he laughs."

"Ginny!"

The youngest Weasley laughed as her brothers sat in shock.

Dumbledore stood at the podium as the golden platters returned to their foodless, shining state. "Well, the Goblet is almost ready to make its decision. I estimate that it requires one more minute."

The Great Hall hushed immediately, and the excitement filled the air. Dumbledore walked to the glowing blue Goblet of Fire in the front of the hall and held out his hand.

The Goblet spit red sparks and the fire turned red. It flared out, and with the sparks that shot up came a single slip of charred parchment. Every person in the Hall held their breath.

Dumbledore's long fingers snatched the parchment out of the air. He looked down and—

"The champion for Durmstrang will be Viktor Krum!"

The Hall erupted into cheers.

"No surprise there!" Ron shouted, lost in the crowd as he banged his empty goblet against the table.

Krum stood, grinning, from the Slytherin table and headed up to the front of the Hall. He shook Dumbledore's hand, and Karkaroff's, then exited the Hall to a chamber off to the side.

Dumbledore held up a hand, and the Great Hall silenced. The Goblet of Fire turned red again, and Dumbledore read from an elegant slip of white parchment.

"The champion for Beauxbatons will be Fleur Delacour!"

A stunning girl stood from the Ravenclaw table. Harry laughed. That girl was the one who had made Ron swoon on the first day. He claimed she was part-Veela.

Fleur Delacour kept a cool smile on her beautiful features as she shook the Headmasters' hands and followed Krum to the antechamber.

"And now for the Hogwarts champion."

* * *

**(Jez POV)**

"Wow, Charelle and Eloise are pretty upset," I whispered to Elle as we watched the two girls sob to each other.

"Fleur deserved it," Elle whispered back. "She's talented. I'm sort of relieved that I didn't get picked."

I nodded and hushed as Dumbledore raised his hand to the Goblet once more.

Red sparks. Spitting flame. The last name—

"The champion for Hogwarts is Cedric Diggory!"

I was shocked out of cheering by the explosions that went off at the black and yellow table. Well, not literally. But as the boy, Cedric Diggory I assumed, stood to take his place, the entire table roared with deafening cheers.

"Ooh, he's cute," Elle said, clapping.

"True," I agreed. Cedric Diggory looked excited and slightly embarrassed as he shook Dumbledore's hand. The cheering continued as he left the Hall.

"Excellent!" Dumbledore called. The cheering slowly died out.

"This Diggory guy must be quite popular among the Hogwarts students," I noted.

Elle scoffed. "Of course, he's gorgeous."

"By cheering your champions on, you will contribute in a very real way—" Dumbledore paused.

I could see why. The Goblet of Fire, though its job was done, was spitting sparks again. With another flaming surge, an ashy slip of parchment floated down to Dumbledore's hand. He turned it over slowly. Shock was written clearly on his face.

The Great Hall was dead silent. Dumbledore cleared his throat.

_"Harry Potter."_

"You're kidding," I whispered.

I joined the rest of the people in turning to stare at Harry Potter. The poor guy. He looked shell-shocked, and scared shitless like I would be. He turned and said something to his two friends, the Weasley and Squirrel-hair girl. They didn't respond.

"Harry Potter!" Dumbledore's voice was shaking ever so slightly.

The Hall began to buzz, with angry chatter and whispered scorns.

"Harry, come up here please!"

Squirrel-hair girl pushed him up. He began to walk slowly towards the High Table.

_"He's a cheat!"_

_"He's not even seventeen yet!"_

Harry Potter didn't acknowledge the comments. Neither did anyone else. Every eye was trained on the black-haired boy.

"How did he do it?" I asked Elle. She shook her head.

"Well, right through the door, Harry," Dumbledore said in a falsely cheery voice. Potter walked like a robot to the other room. The instant he was gone, the Hall erupted into talk.

"How was that even possible?"One of the Ravenclaw girls asked, eyes unhappy.

"'Ogwarts cannot 'ave two champions," Celine said, shaking her head. "Eet is not fair."

"How do you think he did it?" I asked Elle again.

"Maybe he put it in after the Age Line was removed?" she suggested.

Celine shook her head. "Eempossible. Ze line was just removed."

"Of course it had to be Harry Potter, right?" I said, laughing slightly. "The poor guy, probably never gets a break." I proceeded to share with the Beauxbatons students all of the Harry Potter stories that Draco had told me over the years. They were amazed.

"Per'aps, eef 'e managed to survive a basilisk when 'e was twelve, 'e may survive the tournament," Jacques said.

"But they will not let him compete!" a pretty Asian Hogwarts girl said. "It's much too dangerous!"

"They have to, his name came out of the Goblet," Elle said.

I shook my head and closed my eyes, trying to shut out the murmurs of the angry crowd. Poor Potter. He's probably scared out of his mind in that room, with the intimidating Krum, and the gorgeous Diggory, and Fleur, the princess.

I opened my eyes and grinned at the table. "Well, I know who I'm cheering on!"

They all looked at me. "Not 'arry Potter, surely?" Celine asked.

"No, that gorgeous Diggory!"

* * *

** (Third Person POV w/ Ron and Hermione)**

"How'd he do it?" Ron asked, ears turning red.

Hermione gave him a look. "Ron, Harry looked just as shocked as we were. And he even told us, he didn't put his name in." She glanced over at the Ravenclaw table. Jez Riddle was laughing with some other Beauxbatons students. I wonder...

"That bastard, he probably did it last night, like he said he would have," Ron said furiously.

"Ron!" Ginny exclaimed. "He's your best friend, have a little faith!"

"Why does this upset you so much?" Hermione asked, concerned.

Ron threw his hands up in the air. "Because he gets everything! Fame, money, a broom, dramatic pasts—don't you feel overshadowed by him? I'm bloody sick of it!"

Hermione was worried. "Ronald, this isn't you! This is a time when Harry needs you to trust him, not turn against him because you're jealous!"

"I have every right to be jealous!"

"Ron, you need to stop wishing you were someone else and accept that you're a Weasley! Not Harry Potter! Why are you so bloody thick?" Ginny looked ready to punch him.

Dumbledore returned to the podium after a heated argument with the other judges.

"Please return to your common rooms," he said, tone light, eyes troubled.

"Ron—"

But he had jerked his bag out from under his seat and disappeared into the throng of people leaving the Hall.

"Party in the tower!" the twins yelled. The Gryffindors cheered.

Hermione sighed.

* * *

** (Third Person POV w/ Harry)**

He felt numb, entering the chamber. Viktor Krum and Fleur Delacour were seated by the fire, and Cedric was pacing the room, face slightly ashen.

Fleur looked up at the sound of his footsteps. "Do zey want us back in ze 'all?"

Harry said no words. Cedric smiled quickly at him, not pausing his pacing.

Harry stood awkwardly behind the chair in front of the fire.

No one spoke.

Everyone jumped as the door slammed open. All the professors and judges filed in. Ludo Bagman smiled jovially and announced, "Gentlemen, lady, may I present the—ah, fourth Triwizard chamipion?"

"Eempossible!" Fleur laughed.

Cedric gave Harry an inquisitive look, but Harry continued to stare blankly at the fire.

"Not impossible, Miss Delacour," Bagman said. "Harry's name just came out of the Goblet of Fire!"

Harry's mind registered that the adults in the room were asking him questions. He answered them. Everything was a blur.

How had his name gotten into the Goblet? Someone must have put it in for him. But surely the Goblet would have realized that the person whose name was being entered was not seventeen?

"You may return to your common rooms," Dumbledore said. "I can assume that your Houses are eager to celebrate with you."

Harry and Cedric left wordlessly. Once in the entrance hall, Cedric smiled and said, "We're playing against each other again!" When Harry was unresponsive he continued, "So...how did you get it in?"

Harry lifted his head and said monotonously, "I didn't put it in."

They stopped at the marble staircase. Cedric gave Harry a bemused look. "Ah...okay. Well, see you, Potter."

Harry braced himself at the Fat Lady's portrait. "Balderdash," he said dully.

The Fat Lady and her friend Violet giggled and said, "Good job, Harry Potter!" as the portrait swung forward.

The noise hit him like a gunshot. Loud music, hundreds of people cheering and yelling his name, asking him how he did it. Harry wished a hole would appear and swallow him, and spit him out in Australia or anywhere else very, very far away. He ignored everyone and attempted to shake off the Gryffindor banner someone had tied around him.

At last he escaped to his dorm after failing to find Ron and Hermione. Thankfully, he found Ron on his bed.

Harry at last managed to get the banner off and flop onto his bed.

"So, congratulations," Ron said. Harry lifted his head and stared at him.

"'Congratulations?' On what?"

Ron gave a forced looking smile. Strange. "Well, no one, not even Fred and George, managed to get past the Age Line, and somehow you did. You'd just think you'd tell your best friend how, but I guess not."

Harry gaped. "Ron—"

"How'd you do it? The cloak? You couldn't have given me the chance, too? Or does Harry Potter not share the spotlight?"

Harry felt his anger rising. "Look, Ron, I didn't put my name in that cup! Someone else must have."

"Why?" Ron had dropped the false smile and was now glaring.

"To kill me."

Ron scoffed. "Mate, I know this is you we're talking about, but be realistic! That's a pretty dramatic excuse for putting your name in."

"I didn't put it in!"

"You probably did it last night, like you said. Didn't think I'd maybe like to enter, too, right? I'm not stupid, Harry."

Harry got off his bed and glared at Ron. "You're doing a pretty fine impression of it."

Ron's eyes flashed, and he yanked his bed hangings closed.

Harry sunk back onto his bed. _What had happened?_

* * *

** (Third Person POV w/Hermione)**

_Ron's a git. He should know better than to let his irrational jealousy get in the way of his and Harry's friendship, especially at a time like this._

_But Ron is always a git, nothing new._

_I hope Harry is alright. Competing in the Triwizard Tournament? Many brilliant wizards have died from it, and Harry could become one of them!_

_I trust that he didn't put it in, he looked much too shocked._

_I believe it was the Riddle girl. It's so logical, that she would arrive, when many didn't know she existed, and then Harry is entered. She doesn't seem malicious as Harry pointed out but it could be an act, to avoid suspicions. What if she's really trying to kill Harry?_

_She had something to do with it, I'm convinced. She could have gotten her cousin to enter his name instead of her own._

_Tomorrow I must find out more. Tomorrow I have to stick by Harry. Tomorrow I must slap Ronald upside the head._

_Now, I must sleep._

* * *

** Hermione thinks Jez did it? Jez didn't act like she did it...we all know who really did :) Ron's a prat. I always thought that he was irrational during this part.**

**What do you think of Jez and Draco? They might have a little something…**

**And Hermione at the end? :)**

**Preview:**

"So...what did you want to ask?" I held my breath. My heart was pounding. These people were incredibly close to finding out my biggest secret, and they were probably two of the worst people that could know, seeing as it was Harry Potter and his friend.

Bossy gave me a cool look. "Tell us about your parents."

Ooh. Here we go. I let out my air. "It's kind of a long story..."

"Just talk."

**THANKS TO THE LAND OF OZ AND BACK TO:**

**C. Claire .B78**

**M. E. andMr .Boxy**

**Embry's Sexy Imprint(LOL love it! Werewolves all the way...especially if they look like Taylor Lautner :)**

**InTheWrongEra**

**twilightlover4life13(twilight lover for life...but Harry Potter obsessed for eternity :)**

**sua chiwowa**

**Nadia Pintos**

**michi-nin**

**for being amazing and favoriting/following/reviewing last chapter! Thank you soooo much!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

* * *

_Ron scoffed. "Mate, I know this is you we're talking about, but be realistic! That's a pretty dramatic excuse for putting your name in."_

_"I didn't put it in!"_

_Ron's eyes flashed, and he yanked his bed hangings closed._

_She had something to do with it, I'm convinced. She could have gotten her cousin to enter his name instead of her own._

_Tomorrow I must find out more. Tomorrow I have to stick by Harry. Tomorrow I must slap Ronald upside the head._

* * *

Harry dragged his feet down the spiral staircase the next morning. Ron had already disappeared, and Harry figured that the argument last night had put their friendship on hold.

When he appeared in the common room the people already there cheered uproariously. He didn't acknowledge it at all.

Harry dreaded the idea of facing this again at breakfast, so he made his way over to the portrait hole, intending to hide in a secret passageway for the rest of the day.

Suddenly the portrait hole slammed open, revealing a furious Ron. He stormed in and glared at all the people cheering, though they took no notice. There was a strange imprint on his cheek. It appeared to be istory.

Ron gave one last glare at Harry before pounding up to the dormitory.

Harry stepped outside, anger building.

Hermione was walking towards him, hair slightly more frizzy than normal and face flushed. Hogwarts, a History was tucked under one arm, and a stack of toast in the other hand.

Harry spotted the book and his anger faded, replaced by amusement as he put the pieces together. "Hermione, tell me you didn't do it," he said, grinning.

She looked confused. "What?"

Harry pointed behind him at the now closed portrait of the Fat Lady. "You hit Ron? With your book?"

Hermione laughed. "Oh! Well, he was being such an idiot! I sat by him at breakfast this morning, and asked him where you were and he started this whole rant about how you got everything, and you were in the tournament, and God knows what else, I didn't really listen, and I had Hogwarts, a History with me since I like to read at breakfast, and he just made me so mad since he was being such a complete git that I guess I sort of snapped, and I closed my book and slammed it into his face!"

Harry laughed and shook his head. "Hermione, you really shouldn't have done that."

She shrugged. "No teachers saw me. And it actually felt pretty good, like when I punched Malfoy back in third year."

Harry took the stack of toast she offered him. "I guess he deserved it, for being such a prat," he said, taking a bite.

Hermione gave him a concerned look. "Let's go down to the lake."

* * *

"I believe you, Harry," she said once they were outside. "I don't think you put your name in, you were too shocked."

Harry said nothing, just stared out at the Black Lake and examined the Durmstrang ship.

"But..." Harry looked at her. Hermione hesitated. "I think I might know who did."

They sat under the canopy tree by the water. Harry gave Hermione an intense look. "Who?"

"Jez Riddle."

Harry raised his eyebrows.

"Well, think about it, Harry! We didn't know she existed, and then out of nowhere she appears! She's the only person her age that came, she's friends with Malfoy, she doesn't reveal much about herself—"

"None of that really proves anything," he cut in, though he realized that Jez Riddle was very likely the culprit.

"Well, you also heard her say herself that she's You-Know-Who's daughter, which I think is all the proof you need." Harry nodded slowly. "And, you said that someone could have entered you to kill you off. She probably convinced Madame Maxime to let her come so that she could enter you, and finish what her father couldn't do!"

It was a stretch, but Harry could see what Hermione meant. Jez could have pulled it off easily. "She just doesn't seem like a murderer to me," he said.

Hermione shook her head. "I tried to tell Ron this at breakfast but he wouldn't hear it. I know he doesn't believe you put in your name, but it's easier for him to pretend that he thinks you did and be mad than apologize. He's too jealous, and selfish."

Harry felt anger rise. All this, with the Tournament, and people cheering him on and congratulating him on something he didn't do, and Ron being mad at him, and even the fact that Jez Riddle might be trying to kill him, was too much.

"Hermione, I don't want to deal with this right now," he said, getting to his feet.

She grabbed his arm. "Harry, write to Sirius." He stared at her. "Really, write to Sirius. Tell him everything, and I'm sure he'll have a good response for you."

Harry thought about what Sirius had told him way before: keep me posted. He would.

Without a word to Hermione Harry walked away from the lake, and headed back towards the castle.

He was so caught up in his own thoughts that he didn't pay attention to what was ahead of him, and eventually he just stopped in the middle of the path and stared up at the sky. As he was about to open his mouth and let out a scream, he heard a shriek and a scuffle. Something collided with him, and he felt himself hit grass.

* * *

**(Jez POV)**

I had a headache. Last night we had all stayed up and celebrated with Fleur, and the girls had talked about how gorgeous Diggory was, while the guys tossed around theories on how Harry Potter had managed to get into the Tournament.

Elle had to shake me out of my hammock in the morning and practically dress me herself. She had shoved me out of the carriage and ordered me to eat, and get some water into me. I swear, between her and Aunt Gina it's like I have two mothers—two too many!

The sun was too bright. It was literally blinding, so I walked with my eyes shut. Not the smartest thing to do, since I still had a major headache that caused me to walk a little wobbly.

I took a step and tripped over a rough patch of grass.

"Oh!" My eyes flew open as I fell forward. I barely caught sight of what appeared to be Harry Potter, who would very shortly be my fall cushion. Just my luck.

We hit the grass, and I swear I felt my brain jolt a bit. "Oww," I moaned, rolling over and clutching my head.

Potter sat up. "Riddle!"

He sounded shocked, and kind of guarded. Oh, he knows, doesn't he?

I sat up and turned around to face him. "Hi Pot—_OI!"_

The guy was aiming his wand at me! On instinct, I reached into my robes for mine, but it wasn't there.

"Damn it, Elle," I cursed under my breath. She had forgotten to give me my wand!

"What was that for?" Potter asked, wand never leaving me.

"Look, I'm sorry I knocked you over, I was walking with my eyes closed and I have this huge headache right now—"

"Are you trying to kill me?" What?

I gave him a look of confusion. "Sorry?"

_"Are you?_" he yelled. I winced.

"Ouch. Too loud."

He raised his wand, and I reacted. "Whoa! Okay, no, sorry, I'm not trying to kill you, I'm just a little dazed from partying too hard last night and I wasn't walking straight, and, you know, just because this I knocked you over doesn't mean it was an attempt to kill you, think of it as payback for that first night when you—"

_"Harry!"_

I stopped and turned, just in time to see a bright light whiz towards me. It hit me right in the ribs and I was flipped backwards, landing on my butt about five feet away. I laid my head on the grass, closed my eyes, and whimpered. "Ow-ww..."

I heard footsteps. Potter said, "Jeez, Hermione, what was that?"

A girl's prissy, bossy sounding voice responded, "Just a Knockback Jinx. She'll be fine."

I groaned and opened my eyes. Potter and Squirrel-hair girl were standing over me. "Was that necessary?"

Squirrel-hair girl, who I guess is Hermione, but I shall now dub her Bossy, glared at me. "Yes."

I groaned, starting to get annoyed. As I got to my feet, the two kept their wands trained on me. I groaned again. "Oh, come on, guys, I'm not trying to kill anyone! Except maybe Elle, since she forgot to give me my wand—"

"Why would you need your wand, if you're just going up to breakfast?" Squirrel-hair girl asked suspiciously.

"You just jinxed me! And you're really asking why I need my wand? Self defense, maybe?"

The two exchanged looks. "We need to ask you a few questions," the girl said.

"No, we don't—" Potter tried, but the girl cut him off with a look.

I had a sinking feeling in my stomach. They were going to confront me about my father.

"Um...can we talk somewhere privately?" I asked. "Promise I won't Avada you or anything."

They glared at me. Clearly my humor isn't appreciated. But Miss Bossy-Squirrel-hair replied, rather curtly, "Fine."

* * *

They led me farther onto the grounds, to a homely looking hut at the base. Potter knocked on the massive door. "Hagrid!"

The door opened and I sucked in a deep breath. "Oh, sweet Merlin," I muttered.

The hairy man in the doorway was huge. The only person larger that I'd ever seen before is Maxime, and she had only about two inches on this guy.

His hairy face broke into a yellow-toothed grin and he boomed, "Harry an' Hermione! Nice o' ya ter drop by!"

"Hi, Hagrid," Bossy said, smiling.

The man turned his eyes to me. I thought I'd pass out. "Who's this?"

"Hello," I tried, but it came out in a squeak. I felt my face flush, and I cleared my throat. "Er, hi."

Potter spoke. "Can we borrow your hut, Hagrid? We need to talk to Jez, here."

The big man looked puzzled, but smiled and nodded. "Sher, Harry, I was leavin' anyway, have ter ask Professor Dumbledore sum stuff 'bout the firs' task. Jus' don' give Fang anything!"

He left, up towards the castle, whistling. I let out my breath.

"Bloody hell, that man was Maxime sized!" I exclaimed as we entered the hut. I looked around.

There were pots, and dead animals hanging off the ceilings. Different knick-knacks and random collectibles and photographs were hung on the wall. I spotted a long length of what looked like Fleur's hair. A gigantic bed sat against the far wall, with a large black dog asleep on it.

"Yes, that was Hagrid, the gamekeeper." Bossy sat herself in a comfy looking armchair by the dead fireplace. Potter settled on the bed, and pet the dog as it woke and drooled all over. I remained standing.

"So...what did you want to ask?" I held my breath. My heart was pounding. These people were incredibly close to finding out my biggest secret, and they were probably two of the worst people that could know, seeing as it was Harry Potter and his friend.

Bossy gave me a cool look. "Tell us about your parents."

Ooh. Here we go. I let out my air. "It's kind of a long story..."

"Just talk."

How friendly. That'll make me want to talk more.

"Actually, I'd really rather we do this questioning on a day I'm not brain dead, if you please-"

"Just talk, Riddle."

Alright then. Hogwarts people are so cold.

I took a deep breath and began. "I'm sure you already know that my father's name is Tom Riddle, who became Voldemort." I allowed myself a tiny mental victory dance at their shocked faces. Shocked, not because of my revelation, but because I knew that they had known. They nodded. I continued. "My mother's name was Aliya Diana Greensward. She was the older sister to Elle's father. Even then, my father was a blood purist, though he's half-blood. All his followers were being married off to beautiful pureblood wives, and he decided that he would need a trophy wife, a woman better than all his followers' wives. So he traveled in his spare time, and attended Abraxas Malfoy's many social banquets. At one he met my mother.

"The Greenswards are a highly respected pureblood family. At the time, my grandparents were looking for a nice man to marry my mother, their only child and daughter at the time, off to. My father was enchanting and handsome, and my grandparents had heard stories from Abraxas Malfoy about how respectable and powerful Tom Riddle was, though he was half-blood. So they were content as my parents began courting."

"How could your mother and Elle's father be siblings?" Bossy interrupted. "The age gap must be too large."

"I'll get to that. They were married in private, with just the Malfoys and a priest that my father killed afterward. My mother wasn't evil, or violent, or even Slytherin, she didn't go to Hogwarts, but she loved him, and never questioned anything he did.

"When she was twenty-three, my mother gave birth to me. The year after, her parents had Uncle Jack, so they're..." I paused, doing some math. "...twenty-four years apart." At this the two went wide-eyed, and Bossy opened her mouth.

Before she could speak I quickly said, "Please don't." She looked offended, and I saw Potter smile faintly.

I continued. "The only reason why I was born was because my father wanted an heir, but I was a girl, not the dark little boy he'd originally wanted. After I was born he disappeared. No one knew I existed, just my parents." A tiny voice in my head hissed for me to stop talking, and stop telling Potter and Bossy my story, but I pushed the voice aside and continued.

"In the five years between their graduation and my birth, my father had started his reign as Lord Voldemort. He would come home and tell my mother of how one by one he was 'purging the world of the unworthy'. Eventually it scared her, especially when he came back once and his features were distorted, and he just wasn't the Tom she had known before. So she took advantage of when he disappeared after I was born and went to her father.

"My grandfather was an Unspeakable, who worked in the Time Room. My mother asked him for a Time-Turner, one that could send her and me into the future. She had to explain the whole story, and who Tom really was, for him to agree. So he sent us forty years into the future, to 1981, the year your parents died, Potter. Unfortunately, when he found out, my father killed my grandparents.

"My mother tracked down Uncle Jack and Aunt Gina, who were now in their forties, which was weird since Mother was still twenty-four. They had a girl, Elle, who was three already. She explained to them, and they took us in. I know all of what I just told you because my mother spent a year writing it all down in a notebook for me. Two years after we arrived, when I was three, my mother got dragon pox, and she didn't do anything to treat it, so she died."

They stared at me in silence after I stopped talking. The dog whimpered. I shook my left leg, which had stiffened after standing for so long. "Er...that's it..."

Potter was confused. "So, you're really about fifty or sixty years old?" he asked.

I thought for a moment. "I guess...I was born in 1951."

Bossy said, "How do we know all that is true? Where is this notebook?"

I scoffed. "It's in the Malfoy vault at Gringotts, they're the only people I trust with it. Oh, I know the Malfoys so well because my mother had Narcissa watch me with Draco, and she knew them from Abraxas, Draco's grandfather."

Bossy still looked suspicious. I sighed. "I'm not going to try and convince you more by showing you the book, I don't trust you!"

She was miffed. "Well, we don't trust you at all, either!"

Potter shrugged. "I don't know, I guess I believe you." Bossy and I stared at him. He turned red. "Well, it all adds up, and you don't really seem all that much like Voldemort's daughter would be."

He sounded...almost disappointed. Like he was let down by my lack of likeness to my father. "Er, sorry? I could go kill a spider and laugh like a maniac, would that be more Voldemort-ish?"

I mentally cheered as he chuckled slightly. Bossy looked scandalized.

My stomach rumbled, and I remember that I hadn't eaten yet. "Are we done? You guys sort of interrupted me on my way to breakfast."

Bossy raised her eyebrows. "As I recall it, you knocked Harry over. "

"I was tired!"

* * *

**(Third Person POV)**

Harry had a feeling that Jez Riddle was telling the truth. If Hermione wanted more information she could ask more questions later. He was still wary, but he believed her story. That didn't mean he had to trust her.

"I need to write to Sirius," he said, getting up. Fang gave him a drooly, droopy-eyed look. Jez Riddle walked towards the door.

"Wait," Hermione said. "I need to ask you some more questions!"

Jez Riddle stopped. "Really?" she asked in an almost whiny tone.

Harry paused, watching the interaction. Hermione nodded and motioned for her to sit in the armchair across from her.

Jez Riddle looked at Hermione, then at the door. Her stomach growled again. She grinned. "Maybe next time, Bossy," she said, opening the door.

"It's Hermione," Harry said.

"Fine, _Hermione_."

Hermione sniffed. "It's Granger to you, _Riddle._"

Jez Riddle smirked, and walked out the door.

Harry looked at Hermione. "I still don't trust her," she said.

Harry nodded. "Neither do I, but I believe her story."

Hermione stood and walked with Harry out the door. Jez Riddle was just over the hill already. "You still have to consider that she may be acting, Harry. I mean, it was believable, but a Time-Turner that sends you forty years into the future? That's pretty far-fetched."

"You never know. And I think that if she's trying to kill me, then just now would have been a good time." They reached the front doors, and as they walked up the marble staircase, Ron was coming down, beside Seamus and Dean.

"Congratulations, Harry!" Seamus said enthusiastically.

Ron glared at Hermione, and avoided Harry's gaze. He said nothing, and followed Dean and Seamus into the Great Hall.

Harry groaned. "I could use a Time-Turner right now, and go back a couple days, before any of this happened."

Hermione appeared to be offended. "Harry, you can't just use a Time-Turner to change your past! That's incredibly selfish, Professor McGonagall and the Ministry explained this to me when I had mine last year, there are rules to time travel—"

"Okay, Hermione! It was just a comment," Harry said, rubbing his scar.

* * *

**Thanks to shadowkat678 for the idea of having Mione whack Ron with a book! Check out her story, Eva Winters, it's on a great start!**

**Any thoughts? Like on Jez's story, or her hate with Hermione, or whether or not the interactions and reactions seem realistic.**

**Preview:**

"Jez, what if you die?"

I panicked. "Oh, my God, what if I die, Draco? What if I die?"

**THANKS FROM MIDDLE-EARTH TO THE GREY HAVENS (where's my LOTR nerds:) TO:**

**anon (aka the hater...love ya...?)**

**shadowkat678**

**HaleyBlack'Cile'coldfire**

**zompocalyps(LOL)**

**MexicanViper**

**zookster**

**for reviewing/favoriting/following/idea giving! You guys are a-mazing!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Right...this is so overdue. I know i said i'd start writing right after posting the last chapter, and i did, but i trashed it, because i didn't like it, so here's take two. Just a note: I realized that something i had planned before wouldn't work because of how i rewrote some stuff, so in chapter four i took out the last part, where Jez dreams of the Riddle House. **

**In this chapter we have the Hogsmeade trip, all the way up to McGonagall announcing the dreaded Yule Ball. Next chapter is probably all the drama with dates and such. Um...read on!**

**DISCLAIMER: didnt do this yet. I OWN NOTHING THAT JKR ORIGINALLY WROTE...but i own Jez, and her story and the Greenswards and Aliya. So no stealing, it's rude. :)**

* * *

Chapter Six

_Bossy gave me a cool look. "Tell us about your parents."_

_He would come home and tell my mother of how one by one he was 'purging the world of the unworthy'. Eventually it scared her, especially when he came back once and his features were distorted, and he just wasn't the Tom she had known before. _

_So he sent us forty years into the future, to 1981, the year your parents died, Potter._

_Potter was confused. "So, you're really about fifty or sixty years old?" he asked. _

_I thought for a moment. "I guess...I was born in 1951."_

* * *

**(Jez POV)**

What had possessed me to tell them all that? I blame it on my morning dooziness.

About two weeks later I was still thinking about it constantly. At one point I broke down in a bathroom, cursing myself. _That was stupid, and brainless, and foolish! Come on, Riddle, pull yourself together and don't let it happen again. _

_But they know now. _

I hadn't told Draco. How could I? He'd probably kill someone.

He had invited me to visit Hogsmeade with him and his friends on the Saturday before the first task. I'd never been, and the way Daphne had described it to me made the offer irresistible.

Our first stop was the candy shop, Honeydukes. Merlin, it smelled amazing! I bought at least one of every sweet, and 13 Chocolate Frogs, my favorite.

I discovered that Draco had really pathetic friends. Honestly, Blaise Zabini was the only one who I could even consider decent.

Crabbe and Goyle, the big lugs, were there for dumb intimidation. And that's all I'll say.

I hate Parkinson. She whines, and complains, and giggles, and pouts, and—ugh, she is _that type_ of girl that really pisses me off. Bu the worst part is that she hangs off Draco constantly! Bitch, find another guy, who might actually be able to bear your insanely high-pitched voice and puglish face!

Of course, Draco wouldn't be Draco if he didn't play along with her. He responded with a smirk every time her dirty fingers graced his arm, or knee, or back.

That kid.

We sat in the Three Broomsticks, at a round table. I savored my butterbeer, tuning out the conversation of the Slytherins. Then I felt the arm around my shoulders.

I sent a glare to my left. That slicker. Blaise Zabini thought he could make a move one me? I was about to make a snap at him when Draco did it for me.

"Blaise, you're my best mate, but _get your hands off Jez_."

Parkinson pouted. "But Drakey, why should you care? If Jez—"

"Riddle to you," I inserted, but she didn't care.

"—wants to have a little fun with Blaise, then let her! Leaves more time for us!"

I choked on my precious butterbeer. "No. Zabini over here thought I'd be okay with being his armrest, but I'm not, so you—" I turned to face him with a full on glare, but tripped up.

Sitting alone at the bar was Granger. She seemed to be talking to someone, but perhaps she was just loony. No one was around her. I then remembered that I had yet to tell Draco.

"Um...Draco?"

He gave me a puzzled look. "You okay, Jez?"

Now is as good a time as ever, right?

"I need to talk to you...in private."

"But Drakey—"

He cut off Parkinson with a look. "Alright."

I darted out from Zabini's arm and grabbed Draco's.

"Jez—" he protested, but I dragged him farther into the pub, to the ladies' room.

"Are you crazy? This is the worst place for a private talk!"

I paused. "You're right."

As I barged out of the pub we ran into that large man, Hagrid.

"Oh!" I went, taking a moment to stare at him.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Move, Jez!"

* * *

We finally settled by the Shrieking Shack. It took me about fifteen minutes, but I got the full story out.

He wasn't happy.

"_Jez, are you insane_? Yes, your father is gone, and most of his supporters gone too, but there are still people that might come after you if they find out! How could you tell them?"

I held a hand to my forehead. "I don't know!" I cried frantically. "I, I was tired, and not completely with it, and—"

"Jez, _what if you die_?"

I panicked. "Oh, my God, what if I die, Draco? _What if I die_?"

We were both successfully freaking out. Then a thought occurred to me. "Draco...why would I die?"

"I don't know! You're you, anything could happen!"

I closed my eyes. "I don't know...they seemed like they would keep it a secret..."

"It's Potter, Jez."

"So?"

"So..."

I smirked. "Yeah. I just don't think they'd tell anyone. Why would they?"

He gave me a critical look. "They might. I don't trust them."

"Neither do I! I even told them so, but we just have to hope that they have sense and won't tell anyone—and no one else can find out." I shuddered and added, "Especially Rita Skeeter."

Draco smirked. "Oh, come on. That article she did on Potter was pretty spot on, no? Showcased him as the big-headed Pot-head he is!"

I shook my head. "What did he ever do to you?" I wondered aloud. Then I got serious.

"We're not going to talk about this again," I said, looking him seriously in the eye. "We cant risk anyone else finding out."

He nodded. "Let's go finish our drinks," he said, imitating my serious tone.

I rolled my eyes, but laughed and walked with him back to the Three Broomsticks.

* * *

**(Third Person POV)**

"Harry, I feel weird, talking to you in the cloak," Hermione said. "People are giving me strange looks, I think they think I'm talking to myself."

Harry didn't respond. He looked around the pub. Harry's stomach did a flip as he spotted Cho Chang, seated with her Ravenclaw friends. They all sported Malfoy's wretched badges. Cho wasn't wearing one, which cheered him slightly.

Across the pub was a table with Fred and George, Lee Jordan, and Ron. Harry resisted the urge to get up and punch him.

He heard a shrill giggle and turned his head. His eyes widened.

He had found the Slytherin table. Malfoy sat like a king at the round table, with Parkinson petting his arm. Crabbe and Goyle sat like rocks in their seats. Blaise Zabini lounged coolly, a butterbeer in one hand. The other hand was attached to his arm, which was wrapped around Jez Riddle's seat back.

He watched as Riddle gave Zabini a disgusted look. Malfoy made some remark, scathing eyes on Zabini's arm. Parkinson said something with another high giggle, and Riddle rolled her eyes.

She looked past Zabini, and her eyes landed on the bar, where Harry and Hermione sat. Harry turned away quickly, before remembering that he was invisible.

"—only wonder what Sirius has to say to you, Harry, I—Harry?"

"Right here," he said softly, now watching as Riddle led Malfoy to the back of the pub.

Hermione kept talking. "Well, I was just saying that Sirius might have some advice on the first task, or even better, a hunch on who might have entered you, though I have a feeling I already know who."

"Hermione, you could just come and talk to Sirius with me," he said, turning to her, though she couldn't see.

"I couldn't possibly, Harry, you know that! I—"

Harry tuned her out, as he searched the pub for Riddle and Malfoy, who he'd lost track of. He spotted them just as they left the pub.

Moments later Hagrid entered, and Professor Moody followed behind him.

* * *

"_Meet me tonight at midnight at me cabin. Wear that cloak."_

* * *

Harry woke Monday morning feeling slightly sick. _One more day. _And now that he knew what the first task was, he was even more nervous. Overcome a dragon? Could he do it?

He and Hermione had spent all day in the library yesterday, researching anything that could possibly overpower a dragon. Nothing useful, or doable, came up.

On Saturday night Sirius had given Harry a lot to think about.

* * *

_(Flashback)_

"_Hagrid's just finished showing me the first task, and it's dragons, Sirius, I'm a goner." _

_Harry took a breath after sharing everything that had happened since he was entered to Sirius. His godfather seemed most intrigued by the mention of Jez Riddle. _

"_Voldemort's daughter? I didn't know such a person existed," he said. He pondered for a moment longer before addressing Harry. "Hermione thinks she entered you?"_

_Harry nodded. "Yes, but I really don't think she did." _

_With a slow nod, Sirius said, "Yes..." He got a glint in his eye. "Is she pretty?"_

_Harry turned red. "Er..."_

_The head in the fire laughed. "Only joking, Harry. Now, I think that you should watch out for Karkaroff."_

"_Karkaroff? Durmstrang's headmaster?"_

"_Exactly the one. He was a Death Eater himself once, but he made a deal with the Ministry, got off."_

"_He seemed so surprised when I was chosen, though."_

"_Maybe he doubted that you would actually get picked." _

_Harry suddenly remembered an important detail. "I forgot to mention...I've been having weird dreams lately, with Wormtail, some dark-haired guy, and a high, terrible voice. I think it might be Voldemort, and he's killing someone."_

_Sirius looked...well, serious. "You think he might have some form, and he ordered Karkaroff to enter you? That's not very probable, Karkaroff doesn't seem like the type to go back to Voldemort._

"_Someone's coming."_

_(End Flashback)_

* * *

Hermione was more concerned about the dragons than Karkaroff at the moment. He could see her logic.

He might as well try and survive the Tournament, as was inevitable, rather than waste time figuring out who entered him—because what good would knowing that do?

Harry sat by Hermione and Ginny during breakfast. His bacon was awfully hard to swallow.

He spotted Cedric Diggory leaving the Great Hall.

"I'll catch up with you later," he said hurriedly to the girls, before rushing out the doors after him.

* * *

"_Cedric, the first task is dragons."_

* * *

"That was a decent thing, what you did for Diggory back there, Potter," Moody said, clunking down in his chair.

Harry examined the new version of the Defense teacher's office. Different gizmos and gadgets lined the walls, and were stacked upon tables and the floor.

"Foe-Glass," Moody said, noticing his interest in a round, cracked mirror. "Shows my enemies. Not in trouble 'til I see the whites of their eyes." The shadowy figures moved in and out of focus in the cracked mirror.

"Now," Moody began as Harry sat down. "how did you find out about the dragons?"

Harry considered lying, to cover up for Hagrid, but figured Moody would find out the truth anyway. "Hagrid showed me," he said.

Moody snorted. "That oaf. But cheating is a tradition in the tournament, so I assume you saw Maxime and Karkaroff there as well?"

"Yes, so I figured I'd give Cedric a fair chance by telling him."

"Good man, Potter." Moody took a swig from his hip flask and shuddered. "What's your plan to get past it?"

"Er, I'm sort of having trouble thinking of one..."

Moody barked a laugh. "Come on, Potter, you're better than that! You can fight off the Imperius! A good, solid piece of advice—play to your strengths."

"I haven't got any—"

"HA! Boy, they tell me you're a mighty fine Quidditch player. Use that—your flying skills."

Harry nodded. Yes, flying could work... "But I'm not allowed a broom."

Moody fixed both eyes on him intently. "You're allowed a wand."

* * *

**(Jez POV)**

"—and Diggory's cuter, _and _he's got nice hair," I finished, grinning. I had just told Elle my reasons why betting on Cedric Diggory was smarter than sticking with our own and betting on Fleur.

She rolled her eyes. "Those are terrible reasons."

I winked. "They're the reasons that count."

I opened a door that I thought was a bathroom. Inside was Potter and Granger, with cushions and books, and their wands out. They looked at me when I opened the door.

"Oops," I said, waving awkwardly. "Wrong door."

Elle and I kept moving. "Fred and George are betting on Harry Potter, apparently he's their little brother's best friend."

I laughed, then paused as a detail caught my attention. "Would Fred and George be those dashing red head twins that knocked you over?"

She grinned. "Yes."

I studied her face. Then smiled slowly. "Ooh, you like one of them..." Her mischievous look only made me more persistent. "Well, let's go alphabetically...is it George?"

She gave me a look. "Think about what you just said, Jezzie."

Oh. F before G, isn't it? "Whatever," I said.

Elle smiled. "And it is George."

I laughed. "HA! Elle's in love with a ginger!"

"Shut up, Jez!" she laughed. "We're just friends."

"That's how they all start out," I said, waggling my eyebrows. I ducked before she could hit me.

* * *

"And now, for Mr. Cedric Diggory!" A cannon went off, and the crowd cheered even louder, agitating the bluish dragon below. It bellowed, drowning out the crowd.

The first task is insane! Steal an egg from a mother dragon? I could only pray to Merlin that they knew what they were doing.

Diggory's honey-gold hair hit the sunlight, and I cheered louder.

The dragon attacked immediately, snapping towards him.

"Narrow miss, there, very narrow!" Ludo Bagman cried, voice echoing. He sounded a little too cheerful.

After many attempts Cedric decided to Transfigure a boulder into a dog.

"Oh, I hope the dragon doesn't eat the dog," Daphne fret beside me.

I gave her a look. "It's a rock."

His ploy seemed to work. The dragon was interested in the playful, yappy dog. Cedric inched towards the nest, and wrapped his hands around the golden egg.

"And he's got the egg!" Bagman announced.

"Oh!" I exclaimed. Before he could get away, the dragon had screeched and sent a wave of rolling flames in Diggory's direction. He only just managed to dodge them, but his face—that gorgeous face—caught on a lick of fire, and he yelled out in pain.

"Oh, will he be alright?" Daphne asked, dancing up and down.

Elle reassured her. "Don't worry, the matron is a miracle worker."

After Diggory's performance, I really had not much to be interested in. Fleur went, Krum went, and then—

"Mr. Harry Potter!"

Oh yeah.

"_Accio Firebolt!" _

"Is he trying to summon the Horntail's fire?" I asked. The stadium was silent, spectators of the staring contest between the fierce dragon and the small figure of Harry Potter.

"No, look!" Elle cried, pointing to a sleek broomstick that was flying towards us. Potter took a leap and landed on the broom, just avoiding the flames that the Horntail blew.

"He's a brilliant flyer!" I exclaimed, impressed.

Bagman echoed, "Great Scott, he can fly!"

Potter dove up and down, weaved in and out of the snapping jaws, before making a bold move and diving like an arrow towards the nest. He reached his arms out—

"_Yes! Harry Potter has gotten the Golden Egg!" _ Bagman announced it proudly to the roaring stadium. The Horntail roared along with us.

I heard a couple loud boos. I looked farther down the row from us. Of course.

"Shut up, Draco!"

* * *

**(Third Person POV)**

Harry was in bliss. He had Ron back, he had survived the first task, and the next one wasn't until February—things were looking up.

"Potter! Weasley!"

They glanced up at Professor McGonagall, who stood, stern-faced, at the front of the classroom.

The boys stopped their swordfight with fake wands.

"_Thank you. _Now, I have very important news to share with you all."

* * *

"_The Yule Ball is approaching._

_Dress robes will be worn, and the ball will start at eight o'clock on Christmas Day, finishing at midnight in the Great Hall. _

_Potter...make sure you get yourself a partner."_

* * *

**_AAAND_ that's it! Whatdya think? Horrible, decent? i won't be able to update until early august, since i'm out of town. Wow, august...that just means school starts soon. CRAP SCHOOL STARTS SOON! Well. Next chapter will definitely be Yule Ball drama, and the chapter after that the actual ball. Fun stuff, this is what i've been looking forward to writing ever since i started.**

**That bit that i put in, when Jez asks if Harry is trying to summon the dragon's fire, i added that because in the movie, when he does that, i thought he tried to summon the fire. i realized later that i was so wrong:)**

**THANKS TO THE WONDERFUL LAND OF WONDERLAND AND BACK TO: **

**shadowkat678**

**fantasyluver714**

**lolsmileyface6**

**for reviewing/favoriting/supporting me and this story! OOOH and i'm incredibly indecisive now. I planned on making this one loooong story, from years 4-7, but that will be loong. like, maybe 70+ chapters or something. SO it is up to you: one long book or 4, maybe five shorter ones? **

**AAANND please tell me your predictions, they make me smile, especially if you're right. Like what do you think will happen at the ball? tell me what you think, and it might end up happening, if i like your idea! **

**Thanks guys, that's it for today!**

**(I just reread everything, and i realized that i jumped forward alot. i figured that everyone's read the books, and knows, basically, what happens, so i don't need to write everything word for word. Sorry if it bother you that it was sort of choppy.)**


	7. Chapter 7

**I lied...here's an update. I'm supposed to be packing but i have ALL DAY to do that. i decided to type instead. Here we go! It's the girls getting their dates and dresses and such. About the dresses: a lot of authors have links to the dresses, so you can see what they look like, but i created these dresses off the top of my head, so i cant do that. Also, i could draw them, but i have no drawing skills at all. Sorry! READ ON! it is a very light, fluffy, filler-y chappie.**

* * *

Chapter Seven

"_The Yule Ball is approaching._

_Dress robes will be worn, and the ball will start at eight o'clock on Christmas Day, finishing at midnight in the Great Hall. _

_Potter...make sure you get yourself a partner."_

* * *

"Why do they travel in packs? How are you supposed to ask one alone?" Harry shared his laments with Ron as they walked through the courtyard.

"Lasso one?" his friend suggested.

Harry surveyed the courtyard, where it seemed most students liked to chill out.

He spoke the truth—the girls did seem to travel in packs, and attempting to get one on her own would be embarrassing and awkward.

"Harry, mate, you fought a dragon! Getting a girl should be a slice of treacle tart for you!"

"Yeah, I think I'll take the dragon," he muttered as they passed a group of girls. They fell silent as Harry and Ron walked by, and giggled when they had passed.

"You're a champion, mate. They'll be lining up to go with you. Just wait for someone nice to come along."

Harry could only think of one girl he'd like to take. But his Gryffindor courage failed him, he couldn't find it to ask Cho Chang just yet.

* * *

**(Jez POV)**

"Elle, you need to ask George to the ball," I said excitedly.

She laughed. "I can't ask the guy, Jez, the guy has to ask the girl."

I raised an eyebrow. "Says who? If you want a guy, you ask him—don't waste time waiting for him to get the guts and ask you!"

She shook her head. "It just doesn't feel right."

I sighed. Ever since the news of the Yule Ball had been announced every girl was preening and primping herself, giggling when a guy walks by. The poor, pathetic guys, they suddenly seemed so awkward. But who says the guy needs to have courage and ask? Hell, the girls are clearly more gutsy.

Those Durmstrang boys—wow, they were something. So polite, and charming. Chivalry lives on in them! One of them asked Celine, and he just walked up to her, gave a little bow, then kissed her hand and asked, "Vill you go to the ball, vith me?" It was so damn sweet.

All the Beauxbatons girls were either giggly, or aloof. They expected the guy to come to them. And come they did.

Every day, a new boy, of any age, would approach one of them and ask, nervously, if they would go with them. Some of these girls are such players, and heartbreakers, and say "NO" with a little giggle.

Them Hogwarts boys...it's so hit-or-miss with them. Some are gorgeous, some are trolls, some are bold, some are squeaks. Some are the rudest people to ever live, and some are so sweet I can't stand it.

Draco is one of those, gorgeous(though he can't know I said that, his head will just inflate more), bold, and rude people. The bad boy stereotype that a lot of girls apparently like. That boy got asked so many times it was ridiculous. And he turned down so many girls it was depressing.

Parkinson-bitch asked him about eleven times a day, and every time Draco said no. I always laughed at her face after this.

The last week before Christmas holidays was a mad rush for students to find dates. Parkinson upped her number to seventeen times a day. Draco always said no.

I was turning down every stranger that asked me. I'm not good with being friendly and open to new people, especially if it's as a date. But I felt pricks of guilt every time I said no.

"Why don't you ask Diggory?" Elle asked me playfully. "Since you love him so much."

I laughed. "No way—he's gorgeous, but too nice."

At that moment Draco ran up. "Jez, hide me, Pansy's at it again—"

"_Draaakeeey_!"

"Oh, dear dead Grandpa Abraxas," Draco muttered.

Pansy Parkinson appeared, a predator's look in her little pug eyes. "Draaakey, go to the ball with me?"

"No!"

"But Drakey—"

"No!"

Elle and I were laughing our heads off. Draco glared at me. "Damn it, Jez, how many times do I need to refuse all these girls for you to ask me?"

I stopped laughing. Elle paused, then laughed harder. Parkinson burst into snotty tears and fled.

I stared at him. "What?"

He looked nervous. Draco never looks nervous. "I've been saying no to all these girls, putting up with Pansy asking me every other hour, and you haven't said a word to me about the ball!"

I was speechless. Aw, crap, things were awkward now. "I—er, Draco..." I bit my lip. Elle continued to giggle. "I—did you want to go with me?"

Elle cut in, "Of course he does! Oh, you are _so_ blind, Jez, I knew that you two would get together eventually, I even made a bet with Jacques, and he owes me twelve galleons now..."

She gave a hooting laugh before waving to us and running off. I shook my head and turned to Draco.

"So...do you?"

"I—uh, yeah."

Strange. A light, giddy feeling was bubbling in me. I almost giggled like those airhead girls. But instead I grinned. "Brilliant."

* * *

**(Third Person POV)**

December 19th rolled around, accompanied by the first snow. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the twins sat by the fire in their common room, doing various things.

"We should really get a move on, Harry," Ron said, carefully stacking Exploding Snap cards into a card castle.

"I asked Cho today, but she's going with Cedric," Harry said glumly.

"Ron's right, mate, if you don't ask soon all the good ones will be taken!" Fred responded, grinning.

Ron scoffed. "Oh? And who are you taking?"

"Angelina. About to ask her right now." He yelled across the common room to Angelina Johnson, the pretty Chaser on the Quidditch team. "OI! Angelina! Go to the ball with me?"

She laughed. "Alright, then."

Fred grinned again. Harry and Ron sighed in harmony. Hermione asked interestedly, "Who are you taking, George?"

"Why, are you offering?" the other twin asked teasingly. Hermione rolled her eyes and returned to her notes. "Nah, kidding, Hermione. I, George Weasley, hit it off with a certain Beauxbatons girl—literally."

Hermione gasped. "Elle Greensward? Jez Riddle's cousin?"

"That's the one!"

Harry and Hermione exchanged glances. Ron was a little more confused. Then he brightened and surveyed Hermione. "Say...Hermione, you're a girl..."

"Well spotted, Ron."

"You can go with me or Harry!"

Hermione looked angry. "I already have a date, thank you very much!"

Ron appeared shocked. "Who is it?"

She sniffed. "None of your business, Ronald."

"Oh, come on—"

"I'm going to bed," Hermione said, standing.

George continued the conversation. "Freddie was going to ask Elle's cousin, but apparently she's going with Malfoy."

Harry's eyes widened. "Malfoy? Really?"

"Yeah, they're childhood friends or something."

Ron groaned. "We need dates, mate."

Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown walked by and giggled."Hi, Harry," Parvati said, blushing.

Something clicked in his mind. He got up and rushed after them. "Parvati! Will you go to the ball with me?"

She giggled and blushed harder. "Sure."

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks. Lavender, can you go with—"

"Seamus is taking me," she said, giggling more.

"Does Ron need a date?" Parvati asked. Harry nodded. "I can get my sister Padma to go with him."

Harry wanted to hug her. "Thank you so much, Parvati."

He walked back to the fire and plopped down. "We have dates."

* * *

**(Jez POV)**

I love Hogsmeade! The next trip was the Saturday before the ball, and I took that opportunity to grab Daphne and Elle and hit the dress shops.

"It gets so cold here," Elle said, shivering in her thin cloak.

I nodded. Our school's location in France was by the sea, so the harsher climate of Hogwarts was a slight shock to us. Draco had given me one of his Slytherin hat and scarf sets, so I was not as cold.

"Here it is!" Daphne said. We entered a very nice looking shop with beautiful gowns in the display window. The sign said "The Right Fit: Just Use Magic!"

I stared at it. "That's pathetic."

Daphne shrugged. "The name's lame, but the dresses are gorgeous, so just shop."

It seemed that this was the shop that the pureblood families shopped at. It was formalwear, with clothing for men and women. Many girls from the school were here, ripping dress after dress off the racks and trying them on. I was amazed by the fact that after a girl tried a dress on, the dress disappeared, and reappeared on the rack it originated from.

"I am going to have fun in here," I said, grinning.

We spent hours in The Right Fit. Daphne found her dress right away—an off-the-shoulder dark red silk dress, with a skirt that came to her mid-calf and a studded bodice. It complemented her thick brown hair and creamy complexion well. She paid and waited patiently while Elle and I frenzied.

Call it a Greensward thing—we are either incredibly indecisive, or extremely picky.

Elle was torn between two dresses. One was a light, airy blue, made of a sheer, flowing material. It swished in every way when she moved, and made her look like some mythological goddess.

The other was a sleeveless white dress, with a full, layered skirt. A line of gemstones lined the waist, and it sparkled, probably even in the dark.

Daphne love the white one. "It's so elegant, and white will go well with the holiday theme."

I snorted, and shared my opinion. "It's not a wedding, Elle. You can wear a big white dress another time. Go with the blue."

She fret back and forth between the two. "I just can't decide..."

In the end she saw sense and chose the blue.

I am the other Greensward—the picky one. There must have been over two-thousand wonderful dresses in that store, and I couldn't seem to find one I liked. I was searching, not exactly sure what I was looking for.

I tried on a dark blue halter-style gown. From the waist up it was sequined, and the ankle-length skirt was pleated, and the inside of the pleats were sequined. It was lovely. It was too sparkly for me.

The next victim was a sea green dress. "Green for Slytherin, right?" Daphne joked as she handed it to me. It was rejected. It's unfortunate, but I don't like green.

I thought I found my winner in a light blue gown. It had a floor-length skirt that had just enough fullness to be reasonable, and a strapless sweetheart neckline. It was plain, other than the pale red rose that was designed just above the waistline. The grey stem wrapped around the waist, and continued in vine-like patterns on the skirt.

"I think I like this one," I said, turning before the mirror.

One of the workers, who held a large parcel, paused by us and admired the dress. "That's beautiful, young miss."

"Thanks," I said, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

She smiled, then glanced down at her parcel. "Are one of you ladies Jezebel?"

I waved. "That's me!"

She nodded. "Package for you, just came by owl. From Jack and Gina Greensward."

I was confused, but smiled and stepped down to take the package anyway.

"Ooh, what did Mum and Dad send you?" Elle asked interestedly.

I ripped the paper apart, and revealed a black garment bag. A note was attached.

_ Hello, Jezzie-_

_ Elle wrote and told us about the ball, and I figured you would want a pretty dress. _

_ I found this while in the attic the other day. It was the dress that Aliya, your _

_ mother, wore at the social banquet when she met your father. Maybe some of_

_ the magic will work for you. _

_ Love, _

_ Uncle Jack_

"It's the dress my mother wore when she met my father," I said in wonder. "He found it in the attic."

Elle gasped. "You have to try it on."

With their help I wriggled out of the rose dress and unzipped the garment bag. I caught a glimpse of the unique color and I was sold. "This is it."

* * *

**What do you think?**

**I know for a fact that I will start typing the Yule Ball chapter right away, but there's a lot in there so that one probably will not be up until august-ish. **

**Again, apologize for the whole dress image thing. **

**I realized that i never really gave a good description of what Jez and Elle look like. You get that next chapter, along with Jez in Aliya's dress. **

**Draco and Jez?**

**SO I know i'm not going to beg for reviews and stuff, but I just had to wonder...am i slacking? is the story slipping your standards? because i started out with enough reviews per chapter to make me happy, and now only the wonderful shadowkat678 is giving me any feedback. Hopefully after the Yule Ball chapter I'll get either lots of hate reviews or lots of WHAAT? reviews, because i have some fun twists planned. **

**Please send in your predictions! And, if you have a story of yours you'd like me to read, tell me! I need some new fanfiction to take in :)**

**It's only been a day...buuut **

**THANKS TO **

**shadowkat678 and Bugaturtle(love it) **

**for reviewing and following! **

**Thanks guys! see ya in August!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Back from my vaca! I just had to finish this and upload it. this is a 4k word chapter. WHATT. yeah. It's the Yule Ball, a lot happens. I feel like i didnt do it total justice, but let me know. More to say on the bottom. READ ON.**

**edit: crap, i just realized that i forgot to put in Cedric telling Harry about the prefect bathroom...that's kind of important. going to add that now, sorry bout the false update**

* * *

Chapter Eight

"_I—did you want to go with me?"_

"_I—uh, yeah."_

_He walked back to the fire and plopped down. "We have dates."_

* * *

**(Third Person POV)**

"I mean, honestly, Harry, how could anyone possibly take _four entire hours _to put on a dress?"

Ron was still going on about Hermione leaving their snowball fight earlier. All five boys were in the dorm, mocking each other's dress robes.

"It's not just the dress, Ron," Seamus said, grinning. "These girls need time for every little detail to be perfect-o."

Four out of five of the boys were in modest, standard robes, in black. Harry's were bottle-green.

Poor Ron's were lacy, gaudily patterned, and musty smelling. He had described them as "ancient, from Great Aunt Tessie's time." He had severed the lace from the neckline and cuffs, so now there were frayed white strings on the end. It improved it only so much.

"This night can go two ways—best night ever, or nightmare of a lifetime," Dean Thomas quipped, adjusting his robes.

The five boys looked at each other.

"Let's get this over with," Harry said.

* * *

Harry stood beside Parvati at the doors of the Great Hall, preparing to greet the students. All four champions and their dates were standing in a line—Krum and a pretty girl in blue up first, Fleur and Roger Davies next in line, Cedric and—Harry's stomach flipped—Cho Chang were on the other side of Parvati.

Cho was stunning. Harry didn't realize that Parvati was tapping his arm before she said impatiently, "Harry, look at Krum's date."

He looked. Then he did a double take. "_Hermione?"_

The girl in blue turned and grinned. "Hi, Harry! Hi, Parvati!"

Both were agog. Hermione's bushy hair had disappeared. It was now sleek, shiny, and rather stunning. Her even smile was much more noticeable. The pretty blue gown she had on complemented her very well. One hand was in the much larger hand of Krum.

Viktor Krum smiled and kissed Hermione's hand. She blushed. Harry and Parvati continued to stare.

Professor McGonagall hurried up to them. "Places, everyone, we're letting them in now!"

The Great Hall doors creaked open. A rush of people began to enter.

Harry saw Neville and Ginny, Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbott, Fred and Angelina, Seamus and Lavender. He spotted George beside Fred, with the very pretty Elle on his arm. Harry studied her.

Jez Riddle's cousin had honey gold curls that she pinned up into an elegant style. She had a creamy complexion, with a splash of freckles across her face. Her kind eyes sparkled a light blue, which matched her flowing dress. She laughed with Angelina and the twins as they passed.

Harry laughed slightly as Padma passed by, dragging a grumpy looking Ron.

"Good Merlin, look at Parkinson's dress!" Parvati whispered to him.

The Slytherin gang had walked in. Harry almost felt bad for Warrington, who had Pansy Parkinson on his arm. She was dressed in a rather hideous pink thing, with frills and ruffles and sequins and ribbons. She looked like a birthday cake gone wrong. And her pouting facial expression did nothing for her.

Crabbe and Goyle were dateless, Harry was pleased to see.

Malfoy had no girl, either. Had George's information been wrong? Maybe Jez Riddle had decided not to come with Malfoy. He didn't see her at all.

Professor McGonagall came over to the champions. "Places, everyone! It's time for the feast!"

Harry spotted Percy Weasley at the champion's dining table. He was waving energetically and patting the seat next to him.

Harry groaned, and let Parvati drag him eagerly to the table.

* * *

**(Jez POV)**

"_I am so stupid!"_ I cried for the nth time, hopping around the carriage. Daphne and her date, Blaise Zabini, were there, dressed and ready to go, watching me in desperation.

"How could I have been so _dumb_? I can't _believe_ I forgot to get _shoes_, and all I have are _uniform shoes_, and I can't go _barefoot_—"

"Jez!" I stopped my rant and stared pathetically at Daphne. She shook her head. "Honestly, you're smart, I thought you'd figure it out." When I continued to stare at her, she said, "You're a witch! You don't have shoes, so use your wand!"

I was about to retort that I couldn't wear my wand as shoes when I realized how truly stupid that would be. "Right," I mumbled, grabbing my wand from the bag.

I paused in front of a full-length mirror and looked at my reflection. My hair was frazzled and messy, I had no makeup on, I was still in my day clothes, and my brain, clearly, was fried.

Daphne took pity on me and sat me down in front of Elle's vanity. "Let's get you started."

She glanced back at Blaise. "Blaise, why don't you go find Draco, tell him to go on in. Jez is going to be a bit late."

I closed my eyes and put my head back. "Crap, I forgot all about Draco."

Zabini laughed. "I won't tell him that," he said as he left.

Daphne turned to me. "Alrighty. Do you have the dress?"

I pointed to the black garment bag on my bed. Daphne patted my head, like I was a little kid and grinned mockingly. "So, you're not _completely_ hopeless."

* * *

**(Third Person POV)**

The Great Hall was buzzing with forks clattering against plates, and people chattering and laughing. Percy was talking Harry's ear off as he browsed the Hall.

"—Mr. Crouch suffered a huge personal shock with the misbehavior of that house-elf of his, Blinky, or whatever—"

Dumbledore stood, and Percy shut up. All the students stood as well.

With a wave of his wand, Dumbledore sent all the tables and chairs up in the air, and they vanished. A gleaming dance floor was revealed underneath. The students chattered eagerly. The band began to play a light, melodic tune.

Cedric, Roger Davies, and Krum led their dates onto the dance floor. Harry felt dread build inside him.

"Come on," Parvati hissed, following the others onto the floor.

They began to dance, rather clumsily. Parvati seemed to be enjoying herself. Harry was grateful when other couples joined the champions on the floor. He heard Hermione's laugh as all the guys twirled the girls.

Harry just wanted this dance to end.

* * *

**(Jez POV)**

I smoothed out the skirt of the gown, and brushed my hair over my shoulder, and stepped back and forth on my flats that Daphne had Transfigured for me.

"Stop fidgeting, Jez," Daphne said.

I shook my head. "I'm the only latecomer. Everyone will see me!"

"Everyone's dancing. No one will notice."

"Just watch! I'll trip, or knock something over, and then everyone will see!"

"Then they'll see my makeover skills. No one will even recognize you."

I had to admit, she had a point. Daphne was truly a miracle worker. She had transformed me from frazzled, stressed girl before to elegant, stunning girl now.

I peeked inside the Great Hall. She was right, everyone was dancing. I spotted Draco and Blaise not too far away.

I took a deep breath as the song inside ended. "Okay. I'm good, let's go."

* * *

**(Third Person POV)**

Harry breathed a sigh of relief as the song ended. He made to leave the dance floor, but Parvati said, "No, I like this song! Let's dance some more!"

Harry dragged her off and over to the refreshments table. Hermione and Krum followed them.

"You weren't terrible," Hermione informed Harry.

"Thanks," he said dryly, handing her a butterbeer.

The four sat at a table nearby. Parvati began to grill Krum on his life, and Harry and Hermione watched the dancers.

"So, how did you and Krum...?"

Hermione flushed. "Oh! Well, he was always in the library, you know, and I was too, and one day he came up to me and said he wasn't really studying, he was trying to get the nerve to talk to me, and he just asked me! It was rather sweet, but he can't say my name properly, just yet."

Harry laughed. "You could have told us, you know," he said, taking a sip of his butterbeer.

She appeared horrified. "I couldn't have! You and Ron would have just laughed at me!"

They laughed together. "Speaking of Ron," she said, "He doesn't look to happy right now."

She pointed to another table across the Hall, where Ron sat grumpily with a bored Padma.

"Huh," Harry said, his gaze being drawn to Malfoy and Blaise Zabini, who were standing off to the side. They were both watching the Great Hall doors intently. Harry followed their gaze, curious as to what they were watching.

Daphne Greengrass was walking in. She stopped, and looked back, to a shadow off to the side. She rolled her eyes and walked back. She came back into view, dragging another girl into the Great Hall by the arm.

The dragged girl yanked her arm away and straightened, brushing herself off. Harry took in the full effect of this girl.

"Oh, wow," he said, amazed.

It was Jez Riddle, but she was different. It was like Harry was seeing her in a whole new light. Her face was clearly visible, instead of being hidden by a dark curtain of bangs. Her bangs were pinned back with a silvery rose clip. The rest of her dark, almost black hair fell in loose curls to her mid back. Unlike her cousin, she had no freckles or and blemishes on her olive skin.

She had Tom Riddle's dark eyes, but instead of maliciousness and coldness they held brightness and intelligence, and were darting back and forth in a nervous fashion.

Her gown was beautiful and elegant. It was a unique color, almost silvery-gray, but with an iridescent sheen to it, so flashes of blues, greens, and purples shimmered across the fabric. It was strapless, with a very simple neckline. The bodice was fitted to her hips, when the fabric flowed into the skirt. The skirt fell just past her knees, and swished gently back and forth as she walked towards Malfoy.

She looked around the Hall and caught Harry's eye. He quickly looked away, face heating up.

Hermione gave him a curious look. "What's 'oh, wow,' Harry?" She scanned the Hall and smirked as she spotted Jez Riddle. "Ah."

Harry shrugged. "I just didn't recognize her, is all," he defended himself.

Hermione gave him a knowing look. "Right. She is quite the Cinderella tonight."

Harry nodded absentmindedly. His gaze somehow ended up on her again, as she moved onto the dance floor with Malfoy. He felt a strange twinge as he watched Malfoy twirl her and hold her close. She was laughing. _She is pretty when she laughs like that..._

Then he realized something. "Wait, why aren't you being hateful towards her? I thought you hated her."

Hermione shrugged. "I just can't be hateful tonight. It's just so perfect, with the decorations, and the formalities—nothing could ruin this night."

Harry had to disagree. This was not the best night ever.

At that moment Parvati sat back, finished with her questioning, and Viktor said, slightly, out of breath, "Let us dance, Herm-own-ninny."

She shot Harry a glance, like, _see what I mean? _But she took Krum's offered hand and they made for the dance floor.

Parvati sighed. Then she gave Harry a look. "Are you going to ask me to dance or not?"

Harry looked at her. "Er, no."

She huffed and walked off. Ron quickly replaced her. He plopped down and glared at the dance floor.

"What, Padma's ditched you?" Harry asked, wondering why Ron was in his mood.

"He's a git, isn't he?" Ron said, completely ignoring what Harry said.

Harry was confused. "Who?" His eyes were trailing Malfoy and Jez Riddle, who were dancing with Greengrass and Zabini.

"Krum! He's probably just using Hermione because she's so smart, and he needs help with the egg since he's so bloody thick."

Shocked, Harry asked, "I thought Krum was your hero?"

Ron snorted. "Don't know what I was thinking. He's too old for her."

"He's eighteen, it's only four years."

"How are you okay with this? This is your competition that's hanging all over her, mate!"

"They're just dancing, Ron."

The boys sat in silence for a while, each watching their own items of interest.

The song ended and Hermione walked up to them, face flushed. "Viktor's gone to get us some drinks, care to join us?"

Harry was about to say, "Yes," but Ron cut in, "So it's Viktor, now, is it? He hasn't requested Vikky yet? And no, we do not want drinks with you and _Viktor_."

Hermione was affronted. "What is it with you? All night you've been such a grump!"

Ron leaned towards her and hissed, "He's Durmstrang. You're fraternizing with the enemy!"

"_The enemy_? Ronald, there is no _enemy_ in this! The Tournament is all about bringing schools together, forming bonds—making friends!"

Ron scoffed. "I think Vikky wants more than just friendship."

Hermione made an indignant sound and stalked off. Ron settled back into his grumpy position.

"Well done," Harry said nonchalantly. Ron glared at him.

"I'm getting a drink," he said, getting up and storming off to the refreshments table.

Harry sighed, all alone at the table. Yes, this certainly wasn't the perfect night.

* * *

**(Jez POV)**

"So, who has the best dress robes, out of everyone?"Daphne asked, leaning on Blaise.

Our little group of me, Draco, Daphne, and Blaise stood off to the side, drinks in hand. We were too lazy to dance, and too lazy to find a table to sit at. We were all a little high off laughing too much, and spinning too much on the dance floor.

I laughed and surveyed the Hall. I laughed harder when I spotted my victim. "Weasley."

"Which one?" Draco asked, poking me. "There's too many."

I thought for a moment, unable to produce a name. "The one in our year, what's his name...?"

"Ron," Daphne supplied.

"Yes, Ron!"

We all looked at him and burst into laughter. The poor guy had the most horrendous robes.

Draco was still chuckling as he finished off his butterbeer. "Any refills?"

I downed the rest of mine. "Yes!"

He shook his head, laughing, and went over to the refreshments table.

Daphne whispered to me, "Look! Weasley's going over to the table, too!"

The three of us watched him go grumpily to the table. I saw Draco's face light up as he approached.

"Oh, here we go," I said, slightly dreading whatever Draco was about to do.

* * *

**(Third Person POV at the refreshments table)**

"Hello, Weasel-bee."

Ron looked up from the punch bowl and scowled. "What do you want, Malfoy?"

The blonde boy smirked. "I was just admiring your—fabulous—dress robes."

Ron popped the cap off his butterbeer. "Shut up, Malfoy."

He faked hurt. "But Weasel, I was just complimenting your robes! I figured that since you must have gone through such lengths to find a set so appalling, you should get some recognition for your hard searching skills, and terrible eye for clothing!"

Ron growled. "I'm warning you, Malfoy, one more word..."

Malfoy laughed. "They're just compliments, Weasel. But really, what'd you have to sell to get the galleons for these? Your house? Maybe if you sold your rubbish father with it you'd—"

Ron roared and ran at Malfoy. He saw the smirk on his face be replaced by panic before hearing, "Whoa!" Something silvery pushed Malfoy out of the way, and Ron hit the floor.

"Alright there, Weasley?"

Ron got up and dusted himself off, ears and face red. He looked at Malfoy, and saw him holding a pretty, dark-haired girl to his chest. She was the one who had talked. And by her silvery dress, she had pushed Malfoy out of the way.

"I'm fine," he muttered, grabbing another butterbeer.

Ron heard running footsteps behind him.

"Ron! Are you okay?" Harry had joined their little gathering.

"He's_ fine_," Malfoy said in a mocking tone. The girl slapped his chest slightly.

"Hi, Potter," she said, looking at Harry.

Harry stuttered slightly. "Er, hi, Je—er, Riddle. Malfoy."

Ron's eyes widened as he realized that the girl with Malfoy was Jez Riddle, Tom Riddle's daughter.

She spoke. "Draco here was just teasing a bit, and Ron got a little angry. No problem."

Malfoy drawled, "Jez, you're not going to comment on Weasley's fantastic dress robes?"

Riddle gave Malfoy a look, and his smirk disappeared right away. "Oh, no, Jez, you're about to do something really stupid, aren't you—"

"Weasley," she said, letting go of Malfoy and smiling at him. "Would you like to dance?"

Malfoy groaned. Harry looked shocked. Riddle kept smiling, and Ron said, "Me?"

She laughed. "Yes, you, Ron Weasley."

Malfoy was glaring at him. Ron smirked at him and said, "Alright."

* * *

**(Jez POV)**

Draco's so frustrating. The guy can be the sweetest person in the world if he wants to, but he can also be the world's biggest prat, just naturally. When he's a prat, I find that doing something outrageous will tone him down a bit. Which is why I asked Weasley to dance.

The band was playing a light tune, not too fast, and not slow. There was a decent amount of couples on the floor, though many had left to snog, or sit and have a few butterbeers.

I waved to Daphne and Blaise as Weasley and I danced, rather awkwardly. I looked up at him. He's very tall. His dress robes really were terrible, especially up close."I'm sorry Draco's such a git," I said, laughing slightly.

He nodded, but didn't say anything. I bit my lip. The guy wouldn't even look at me. Why had he said yes, again?

"So, you're a Gryffindor?" I tried again. He nodded, no words. I continued. "Like Potter and Granger, right?"

"Are you trying to kill Harry?"

I blinked. So he talked...but _what?_

"Er, come again?"

He looked at me at last. "We know you're Riddle's daughter—"

"Well, yeah, I told them myself that one time—"

"—and Hermione thinks that you put Harry's name in the Goblet, because you're trying to kill him. And Hermione's almost never wrong."

I laughed in disbelief. "You've got to be bloody joking. No, I don't want to kill Potter, he hasn't done anything to me, except knock me over, and that's not exactly reason to try and kill him." I thought for a moment, then added, "And tell Granger I hate her too. With love."

Weasley raised an eyebrow. "But he defeated your dad, wouldn't you want to get back at him?"

I shook my head. "I try not to hate people until I meet them. Like Granger. But Potter doesn't seem so bad." I tilted my head to look at him better. "Neither do you."

His ears turned pink. I smiled. "Can I call you Ron? I already call both your brothers Weasley, so..."

"Yeah, sure, Riddle."

"Jez." Aww, he turned red!

"...Jez."

* * *

**(Third Person POV)**

Harry was back at his solitary table, watching Jez again. Only this time she was with Ron.

Hermione came and huffed over to him.

"The night isn't perfect anymore," she said, glaring at Ron and Riddle.

Harry nodded. "The night was never perfect."

Hermione scoffed. "It was! Everything was brilliant, and then Ron goes and acts like a prat, and then that Riddle girl thinks it's alright for her to dance with him—"

"They're just dancing," Harry said, slightly amused. "I told the same thing to Ron when he complained to me about you and Krum."

Hermione stared at him, open-mouthed. She was speechless for a moment, then she said, "Well, Viktor's left already, I'm going up to bed."

"Bye," Harry said to her back. The Great Hall felt incredibly stuffy. He decided to step outside for some fresh air.

* * *

"_It's been getting clearer and clearer for months. I am becoming seriously concerned, I can't deny it—"_

"_Then flee."_

* * *

**(Jez POV)**

Ron laughed. "So, you just got up and walked away? No one saw, no one questioned you?"

"Well, my aunt and uncle asked why I was so beaten up, but I just told them I tripped over a rock in the woods. It happened all the time. And if anyone saw me, they didn't say anything." I had just finished telling Ron the story of when I had crashed and broken my first broom against the clock tower in Godric's Hollow, where we lived.

Ron was actually a lot of fun. He had loads of hilarious childhood stories, which made sense since he was the Weasley twins' brother. He actually seemed interested in hearing what I had to share, which shocked me, since he clearly knew who I was.

Maybe it was because I told him how Draco had used accidental magic one time and dyed his hair bright orange.

The ball was still going strong, and the band played on. Draco was still watching us. I didn't really want to leave Ron behind, since Potter and Granger seemed to have left, but I told him, "I should go, Draco looks a little irritated."

He laughed. "Who cares about the ferret? I'm actually having fun at this ball, and I thought it would be a nightmare."

I smiled. "I can't stay. I really should at least spend the rest of the ball with him, since he is my date."

Ron shrugged. "Padma left me after the first dance. I have no guilt."

I shook my head, but grinned. "You are terrible." We laughed.

I caught sight of Draco in the corner of my eye and winced. He didn't look happy at all.

"Okay, I really need to go now, bye, Ron!"

He waved, heading out of the Hall. "See you tomorrow, Jez!"

I walked rather meekly to Draco.

"Weasley?" he fumed. "Really, Jez?"

"Okay, well, I only danced with him because I knew it would shut you up a bit, but he's actually really nice, and fun." I saw his look and added, "I don't even think we consider each other friends, we just had a fun time talking."

"You're on first name basis."

"Yeah, well..."

He shook his head. "You really shouldn't be talking to blood-traitors, especially Weasleys."

I shrugged. "Blood-traitors are nice. Nicer than shiny-blonde purebloods," I said, grinning and poking him.

He sighed, but I could see him wanting to laugh. He just shook his head again.

"Oh, you're impossible, Jez," he said, hugging me. He surprised me by kissing the top of my head. "Let's get you to bed."

* * *

**(Third Person POV)**

As Harry was making his way out of the Great Hall, he was stopped by someone calling his name.

"Hey! Potter! Wait up!"

Harry turned. Cedric Diggory was running towards him. He came to a panting stop.

"Hello, Cedric," Harry said.

Cedric smiled. "So, uh, how's it going...with the egg?"

Harry shrugged. He spotted Cho waiting inside the Hall, watching them. "It's...good."

"Does it wail when you open it?"

"Yeah."

Cedric smiled again. "Er, take a bath."

Harry gave him a weird look. "Pardon?"

"Just...take your egg...and take a bath. I recommend the prefects' bathroom, fourth door to the left of that statue of Boris the Bewildered on the fifth floor. Password's pine fresh."

The older boy grinned and straightened. "Well, that's all, i want to go say good night..." Cedric waved and ran back over to Cho.

Harry stood, thinking over what Cedric had said. Take a bath? It didn't make any sense to him. Maybe Cedric was just trying to make Harry look foolish, so that Cho would like him more.

Harry wandered up to Gryffindor tower, ignoring the giggling couples in the shadows of the corridors.

"Fairy lights," he said at the Fat Lady. The portrait swung forward, and the blazing row frominside echoed down the hall.

"Well, you don't like me and Viktor, I don't like you and Riddle! I think we're even!"

"Jez isn't the enemy!"

"_Riddle isn't the enemy_? Listen to yourself, Ronald! Think about who she is!"

"I just don't like you and Krum, alright?"

"Well, if you don't like it, you know what the solution is, don't you?"

"Yeah? What's that?"

"Next time there's a ball, ask me before someone else does, and not as a last resort!"

Harry watched as Hermione stormed upstairs, leaving Ron gaping after her.

He turned to face Harry. "Well—that's—that—she's completely missed the point—"

Harry just grabbed Ron by the shoulder and tugged him upstairs. It had been a long day—a long _evening_—with the entire ball, and then overhearing about Hagrid, and Snape and Karkaroff, and Riddle.

Harry just wanted sleep.

* * *

**Again, I really don't think i did this justice. Sorry. **

**Tell me what you think! This was a looong chapter, lots for you to think about. **

**Ron and Jez will not be a couple. They just like talking to each other. **

**For all those Harry/Jez shippers, there was a little spark here. **

**Draco/Jez shippers, there ya go. **

**SO! Maybe pleaing and begging for reviews is what brings them in, because after last chapter i got a looot of alerts. But asking for reviews takes energy to type, so i shall not do that! **

**THANKS FROM (insert creative mythical land here...hey, i'm exhausted right now) AND BACK TO:**

**rosie. horgan. 7**

**ChelseaLouisePowell**

**Nadia Pintos**

**ADyingWorldxx**

**PotionGirl1992**

**BunnyMooMooMonster****(****interesting, i smiled when i read your penname...and your review:)**

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**Guest****(****Thanks, you're partially psychic:)**

**Utau54**

**imjaysong**

**BelowTheFire**

**GoodNaughtyGirl**

**TheDarkLady55**

**shadowkat678**

**for reviewing/favoriting/supporting/following/helping/ predicting! You guys are the greatest, I think i had like 22 emails in my inbox thanks to all you. **

**I think that's all...so tired right now i have no idea. Thanks again, hope you liked it, probably going to start the next chapter tomorrow. But it'll be hard, going forward form the Yule Ball chapter. can any other authors sympathize or is it just me? :) Love ya, bye!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Here it is! I got a lot of positive responses last chapter, so apparently people like it! Yay! This is another "eh" chapter, I don't like it very much. More Harry/Jez interaction for all of you, and some Draco/Jez too. Ah...more at bottom. Read on!**

* * *

Chapter Nine

_He felt a strange twinge as he watched Malfoy twirl her and hold her close. She was laughing. She is pretty when she laughs like that..._

"_Weasley," she said, letting go of Malfoy and smiling at him. "Would you like to dance?"_

"_They're just dancing," Harry said, slightly amused. "I told the same thing to Ron when he complained to me about you and Krum."_

"_You're on first name basis."_

"_Yeah, well..."_

"_Oh, you're impossible, Jez," he said, hugging me. He surprised me by kissing the top of my head._

* * *

**(Jez POV)**

I woke up feeling extremely groggy. I washed up in a daze. Deciding that today would be a relaxing day, I grabbed a book and headed for breakfast.

The Great Hall was back to its original state, all traces of the ice castle before had disappeared. Only a handful of students were eating breakfast, and everyone looked exhausted. I didn't see anyone I knew, so I made for the Ravenclaw table to eat alone and read.

"You know, you hate Hermione, but you sure are a lot like her."

I glanced up. Ron stood there, grinning. I smiled.

"Hey, Ron." I closed my book and gave him a mock-interested look. "And why am I like my favorite Mudblood?"

He made a face. "Don't call her that."

I shrugged. These people. "Right, sorry. Granger, I meant."

He snagged one of my bacon strips. "She's a book nerd, too."

"Hey, I am not a book nerd! I was lonely this morning, and decided reading would be better than eating alone."

Ron took my book too. "I didn't understand a word of what you said. But—come eat with us."

What? "Sorry?"

"Come eat with us. Maybe you and Hermione will find that you don't hate each other so much."

I snorted. "Sorry, Ron, but I think we're sure about that." I added in a whisper, "And they still think I want to kill Potter, don't they?"

Ron nodded sheepishly. "We'll convince them that you're not." He eyed me. "Because, you're not, right?"

I rolled my eyes. "I would have done it already if I were."

He didn't look completely reassured, but I took my plate and followed him over to the Gryffindor table. When we sat, Potter looked surprised and Granger glared at me.

"What do you want, Riddle?"

I smirked at her. "What? I can't eat breakfast with my favorite redhead and meet his friends?"

"Not when you're trying to kill one of us!"

With another eye roll—these are becoming pretty common—I said, "I am not trying to kill Potter!"

I looked at the guy himself. "Do you think I am?"

He shrugged, turning slightly pink. "Er..." He cast a nervous look at Granger. "Honestly, not really."

I grinned. "There you go, Granger. The victim doesn't think I'm going to kill him."

She glared at me. "You're Tom Riddle's daughter. You have to have some kind of vendetta against Harry, and it can't be a coincidence that you show up, and then Harry gets into the tournament."

Ron groaned. "Hermione, we've heard your theories a million times already! Give it a rest!"

I nodded. "And, I have no idea who entered Potter. It wasn't me, in an attempt to kill him. If I were trying to kill you, Potter," I turned to him, "I wouldn't waste time being crafty and creative, and putting you through the tournament. I'd just Avada you, honestly."

He paled slightly. "Right."

Granger huffed. "Well, I still—"

I spotted Draco walk in with Blaise Zabini and the thugs. "Got to go," I cut across her. I grabbed the last bacon off my plate and waved. "Bye, Ron, Potter." I glanced at Granger and smirked. "I hate you, Granger."

I ran away laughing, and heard Potter and Ron laugh with me. Granger just spluttered angrily.

* * *

**(Third Person POV)**

"Oh, she is such—such a complete_ cow_!" Hermione hissed, crossing her arms.

Harry was still chuckling at the nerve of Jez Riddle. Then he asked Ron, "You two seem like friends...how did that happen?"

Hermione sat at attention and stared at Ron with intimidation. "Yes, Ronald, how did that happen?"

Ron turned red. "Er, well, we danced last night...and then we were talking...she's pretty cool, actually. Lots of stories."

Hermione put her nose in the air and glared across the Hall at Jez Riddle and Malfoy, who were sitting next to each other. "Yes, she is just perfect, isn't she. It's probably all an act, to trick us into liking her, then she's going to stab us in the back. She's like a female version of Malfoy."

"I don't think so," Harry said, rolling scrambled eggs around his plate.

Ron nodded. "Yeah, she told me this great story of how Malfoy dyed his hair orange one time, on accident."

Harry grinned. "Ah, so he does use hair dye!"

The boys laughed while Hermione continued to steam. She huffed and got up from the table. "I'm going to the library. You two can work on solving that egg, instead of trading stories about Riddle!"

She stormed off. Ron and Harry gave each other looks. Then Ron brightened.

"Want to hear how Malfoy fell off his broom and hit his mother's flowers?"

* * *

Harry rubbed his forehead, feeling exhaustion after the past few weeks. First, he'd had to work in a frenzy to finish his holiday work, and then the article about Hagrid had come out, and Hermione was always pestering him about solving the egg clue, and Ron seems to not be around as often, because he was "talking to Jez" or something, which made Hermione even madder. Harry was also in a state of confusion by the slight—was it jealousy?—when Ron would return from his conversations with Jez. He shook it off. It was probably just wariness, since he didn't fully trust her yet.

He finally decided one evening that that he'd just have to follow Cedric's advice and take the egg to the prefects' bathroom. The day of the second task was drawing closer and closer.

He waited by the portrait hole, egg in his arms, Marauders' Map in hand, and invisibility cloak on, for Ron to open it from outside. Just as Ron said "banana fritters" and Harry stepped out, he heard a girl shout.

"Oi! Ron! Don't go in yet!"

Harry froze, and he heard Ron swear quietly.

Jez Riddle was running down the corridor, grinning. Ron stepped outside the portrait hole and smiled. "Jez! So you managed to find Gryffindor tower."

Harry was wondering how she had when she replied, "Yeah, you gave pretty great directions, though I almost slipped on the staircases."

Ron cast a nervous look towards where he thought Harry would be (in truth, Harry had been inching down the corridor, trying to escape, but this was not easy with a heavy golden egg and the Marauders' Map in his hands). However, he stopped when he heard that Ron had shared the location of the tower. That information was supposed to be for Gryffindors alone.

Ron laughed, a little shakily. "Yeah, those staircases can be tricky...changing all the time..."

Harry was now about eight feet away from them, when he heard—

"I came to tell you that Draco and I are officially dating now."

Ron let out an incredulous sound. Harry almost dropped the egg, but he caught himself. In the process of catching his balance, though, the cloak had slipped, and he had been revealed.

Jez Riddle whipped around. She blinked furiously a couple of times, before saying, "Potter, hi...why are you partially invisible?"

Harry shrugged, trying (and failing) to appear casual. "I, er..."

Ron grabbed Riddle's wrist. "Officially? Malfoy? But you told me you didn't want to go out with him, it'd be too weird since you guys are such good friends."

Jez Riddle smiled happily. "I know, but I could sort of tell that he wanted to be more than just good friends, and he was so sweet when he asked, so I thought, what the heck? Why not?"

Ron gave her a disapproving look. "Because it's Malfoy."

She rolled her eyes. "It's Draco."

"It's Ferret-boy!"

"And?"

Ron struggled. Then he said, "Does he know we talk?"

Riddle looked slightly guilty. "Er, not exactly. He thinks I'm with Daphne when I'm talking to you."

Ron groaned. "He's going to murder me."

"Nah, he's actually really sweet—"

The two boys gagged, Ron wiping his eyes for effect.

Harry said, "I'll just go now..."

Riddle turned to him, curious. "It's past curfew, Potter, where are you going?"

Harry floundered for words. "Er...the, uh..."

Her eyes found the egg he had awkwardly hidden behind his back. The Map was still in his hands, and still functioning.

"Are you working on the clue?" she asked, eyes lighting up with interest.

Harry decided not to lie. "Yeah."

"Ooh. Cool. Does yours scream, too, when it opens?"

"Yeah."

"Huh. Any idea yet on what it means?"

"Er, no."

She gave him an amused look. "Man of few words, huh, Potter?"

Harry turned red. Ron laughed. "Ah, I'm going to bed," he said, saying the password to the Fat Lady. He turned back to them. "You're crazy for dating Malfoy, Jez! G'night, g'night, Harry."

Jez laughed and shook her head. Harry chuckled slightly. Jez looked at him.

"Where are you headed?"

Harry froze, realizing his situation. Alone, after curfew, with the seemingly harmless daughter of Voldemort, who was, apparently, dating his sworn enemy.

"Potter?"

"Er, prefects' bathroom, fifth floor. Someone tipped me off, said that might help."

She made a dubious face. "You're going after hours to take a bath?"

Harry shrugged, and began walking down the corridor. She followed.

"Interesting tactic. Don't know how it'll help, but whatever works, I guess. What's the parchment for?"

Harry froze. "Erm...it's a, uh-"

She took a closer look at it. "Oh, it's a map. Boring, Potter, why?"

"I, uh, get lost easily." Sigh of relief.

"Huh."

They walked in an extremely awkward silence until they reached a tapestry. Harry had planned on taking the secret passageway that was behind it down to the fifth floor, but was hesitant, with Riddle there.

He made a decision. "Er, there's a secret passageway, through this tapestry, it'll take us right to the fifth floor." He brushed it aside, revealing the passage.

Riddle grinned. "Nice, Beauxbatons has nothing like this."

Harry was surprised. "Really? It's a magic school with no magic tunnels?"

She made a face. "It's so uptight and proper. Beautiful, don't get me wrong, but it doesn't have the homey feel that I get from Hogwarts." Harry nodded as they proceeded in the dark down the passage. "Instead of one big castle, we have a stretch of land by the sea, and a huge mansion they converted into a schoolhouse. All classes and meals are there, along with teachers' housing and such. The students live in villas spread out across the stretch, sorted by year and gender. The girls in my year have our own villa. And the villas are gorgeous."

By the time Riddle finished talking they reached the end of the passage, an empty portrait frame from the outside. Harry was intrigued by the description of another magic school.

"So, no houses? Or any way to divide you besides year?" Harry asked.

Riddle shook her head. "Nope."

"So how can you play Quidditch? Make your own teams?"

Riddle frowned. "We don't have a pitch. No Quidditch at Beauxbatons." Harry made his incredulous noises and she laughed. "Right? It sounds like so much fun; I play occasionally with Draco, when he has his friends over for his parents' social gatherings."

"Oh? What position?"

She grinned and flexed in a mocking way. "I'm make a fairly frightening Beater."

Harry was surprised, he would have pegged her as a Chaser, that's it. The mention of Malfoy had brought back that strange feeling again. He asked, slightly stiffly, "So, you and Malfoy?"

He watched her blush. "Is it weird? I know you guys kind of hate each other, some first year rivalry..."

Harry nodded. "He was a git to Ron."

"He's a git to everyone, you just have to see around it."

"Oh? You seem to know him pretty well."

They were nearing the bathroom—Harry could see the statue of Boris the Bewildered.

Jez Riddle scoffed and answered, "Next to Elle, he's known me the longest. My mother took me around to the Manor all the time. So, it's sort of weird, the idea of dating him, since he's almost, like, my brother. Almost."

Harry stopped walking at the statue. She stopped and gave him a confused look. "Why'd you stop?"

Harry gestured to the statue. "Er, this is the bathroom..."

She blinked. "It's a statue."

"Yeah, entrances are different here..."

She snorted. "No kidding. It's pretty cool."

Harry nodded, feeling awkward. "Well...good night."

She tilted her head, looking at Harry with an interesting expression. She smiled. "Good night...Harry?"

He flushed lightly. "Jez."

He watched her skip down the corridor, then shook his head and muttered "pine fresh" to the statue.

* * *

The next day in Charms Harry had plenty to share with Ron and Hermione.

"Forget the egg for a moment, Hermione, listen to this, to what Moody told me..."

The other two were intrigued by what he said, and Hermione suggested letting Sirius know. Harry agreed to write to Sirius after classes were over.

They each practiced the Banishing charm one time again before Ron turned to Harry.

"Harry, mate, did you walk with Jez last night?"

"_What?"_ screeched Hermione. Her pillow went off course, and sailed into Neville's face.

Harry cursed Ron in his head. "Er, well...yeah, we walked..."

"What do you mean _you walked_?" Hermione asked dangerously.

"She just walked with me down to the bathroom, and walked away! We talked about her and Malfoy, and her school. She seems cool." Harry flinched, wishing he could have taken that last comment back, because Hermione looked ready to breathe fire.

"_Cool_? She's evil!"

"She's fun," Ron defended.

Professor Flitwick called over, "Focus, please, and keep practic—OH!" The tiny Charms teacher went flying again as a misfired spell hit him.

"She is not _fun_, Ronald, just because you both have silly, stupid little crushes on her—"

Both boys protested, but Flitwick announced that class was dismissed, and Hermione hissed to them, "We'll meet in the library after classes to discuss the egg. And don't make any detours to talk to _Jez Riddle."_

Harry and Ron stared, open-mouthed, as she stormed out of the classroom.

"I do not have a crush on her," Ron said indignantly.

Harry gathered his things.

* * *

**(Jez POV)**

February twenty-fourth—the day of the second task. Everyone in the Beauxbatons carriage was buzzing around Fleur, wishing her luck and giving her advice. She had shared with us the song the egg sang, about getting back what the mermaids took.

"Here," Elle said, tossing a sweatshirt to me. I pulled it over my long-sleeved t-shirt and jeans. February is a cold month, and we would be out on the water today.

"I wonder how this is going to work," I commented as we exited the carriage. Down in the center of the massive Black Lake was the viewing towers, and trails of boats leading to it. "I mean, if they'll be underwater, how will we see what's going on?"

I got my answer when we arrived at the tower, given to me bluntly by Ludo Bagman's explanation of the task—we wouldn't. All we could do was watch the water, waiting for the champions to come back up with their hostage, the person they'd miss most. I stood with Draco and his crowd, shivering in the cold. Draco saw me shake and linked our arms, kissing my cheek. It felt nice.

It was nine fifty-one—nine minutes until the task started. The champions were all supposed to be there at nine thirty, and three of them were. Krum, looking extremely buff but almost revoltingly pale in red swimming trunks and a grey tank; Fleur, graceful and slightly shivering in her light blue swimsuit; and that gorgeous Diggory, black trunks and a bright yellow tank. Potter—Harry—wasn't here yet.

Nine fifty-eight.

"There!" cried a little Gryffindor, pointing to a figure sprinting to a boat. We kindly waited patiently while Harry's boat rowed itself to the towers.

He shrugged off his robe, revealing the same getup as Diggory, just a red tank instead of yellow. He took a wet-looking, writhing clump out of his pocket and stuffed it into his mouth.

Bagman announced, "The champions have one hour to complete the task! Champions, bring back what you have lost, the possession you miss most! On the count of three—"

The entire crowd chanted, "_Three, two, one_!"

As one the four champions dove into the glossy black water. We all cheered.

The cheering died out after a bit, and everyone realized that we would be stuck here until someone came up. I turned to Draco and his Slytherin friends.

"Anyone up for bets?"

* * *

Bagman entertained us for about thirty seconds by telling us what the champions would be fetching—or, rather, _who._ Fleur had to get her sister Gabrielle (how they had gotten a hold of her was beyond me); Diggory had to get Cho Chang, his girlfriend (who I realized was that sensitive Asian girl in Ravenclaw); Harry had to get Ron (I'll admit I freaked out a bit here, that Ron was at the bottom of that lake); Krum had to get Hermione Granger (I choked and laughed into Draco's shoulder for a good five minutes after hearing this).

Half an hour into the task, Fleur's shiny blonde head broke the surface of the water. We all cheered, then trailed off as we realized she was sobbing, and there was no Gabrielle with her.

"Ze grindylows, zey attacked me, I could not get away—"

Everyone from Beauxbatons groaned when Bagman announced that Fleur would receive minimum points, as she failed to receive Gabrielle. When concerns were raised about Gabrielle's safety he reassured us that she would be retrieved after the all the champions were back.

It was another half hour before Diggory's head popped the surface, a grinning and slightly blushing Cho Chang hanging onto his arm. Everyone cheered and pounded their feet.

Next to return was Krum. Well, first it was a shark, with Granger's rope in its teeth, and then it transformed into Krum, who gave Granger a hug. I laughed, she looked shocked and embarrassed.

We waited for Harry.

"Maybe Potter drowned," Draco said, leaning on the rail. I smacked him. "Ow! What, woman?"

"Don't say that," I said, studying the water intently.

At last another two figures rose to the surface—a redhead and a blonde.

"Ron and Gabby," I muttered. "Where's Harry?"

"_Harry?"_ Draco sneered. "When did first-name basis happen, Jez?"

I didn't listen. I stared at the water, searching for any ripple.

Finally he broke the surface, and, gasping, swam to the tower. He collapsed, panting, on his back. He was surrounded by people with towels instantly.

We waited for everyone to settle down, and for the judges to decide on the points.

Bagman's voice boomed out across the water. "We have reached our decision!

"Fleur Delacour demonstrated excellent use of the Bubble-Head Charm. However, she failed to return with her hostage, and therefore did not complete the task. We award her twenty-five points.

"Cedric Diggory also used the Bubble-Head Charm, and returned with his hostage one minute outside the time limit. We award him forty-seven points.

"Viktor Krum performed an incomplete human Transfiguration, very effective. He was second to return with his tribute. We award him forty points.

"Harry Potter demonstrated the use of gillyweed. He was last to return with his hostage, well outside the time limit, though he rescued both his hostage and Miss Delacour's. The Merchieftainess has confirmed that Harry Potter was first to reach the hostages, and his delay in return was due to his determination to return all four hostages to safety, not just his own."

We all groaned. "Saint Potter, always playing the hero," Draco spat.

I shrugged.

"Most of the judges think that this shows moral fiber and deserved full marks. However, we award Mr. Potter forty-five points."

In the frenzy of everyone cheering, and stampeding off the towers, Draco grabbed me, whirled me around, and kissed me right on the lips. After a few moments of shock I pulled away and blinked. He went pink and continued to walk. I laughed. I hugged him from behind and kissed his cheek.

"You're so strange and random, sometimes," I laughed.

* * *

**Ta-da!...? again, I personally didn't think this is too great. **

**The next few chapters will probably be bonding time between the trio and Jez, and then the Third task :) lots of twists there. **

**What did you think? **

**For anyone who is here reading HP fanfiction but hasn't read the HP books: **

**a) YOU ARE CRAZY**

**b) IN the prefect bathroom Harry discovers the clue, which is basically the egg singing a cryptic song to him, and then while he's going back to the tower he sees "Mr Crouch" in SNape's office, and snape isnt there. **

**Ah forget it, i was going to be nice and type a little synposis there, but i couldnt find a quick way to do it. SO just go read it, or look it up. In the end Harry loans the Map to Moody. All you need to know(But read what happens there).**

**UM! sorry bout that. **

**PLEASE send me what you think is going to happen! So far people's only predictions have been on whether Jez will end up with Harry or Draco. COME ONE PEOPLE GET CREATIVE. :)**

**Ah...ha!**

**THANKS TO NEVERLAND AND BACK TO:**

**princesspay10**

**lolsmileyface6**

**FreezinWinter**

**BunnyMooMooMonster****  
**

**shadowkat678****(****you finally updated Eva Winters! and put Draco in it! :)**

**WindsweptWillows**

**He4artBreaker101**

**QueneldaTheDragonWhisperer**

**shadowebb**

**for reviewing/favoriting/following/suggesting last chapter! Makes me happy! **

**Can i just say you people have the best pen names ever? so creative and fun, mine just means "to the end" in latin...(so poetic, which makes no sense if you know my personality...no poetry)**

**AAAND you guys leave the best reviews. even if it's just UPDATEUPDATEUPDATE or a long, heartfelt, meaningful letter, i love them. :)**

**That's it for now, next chapter sometime next week, hopefully!**

**OH if anyone has a reaaally good Marauder story for me let me know, i'm in that phase right now:) thanks!**


	10. Chapter 10

**OKAY! So, sorry to psyche you all out but this is not a chapter. I realized that I might want to make this a series, one book for every year, and I think I asked this before.**

**I want your opinion: series, or one long book?**

**AAAND maybe a new title? Lucky Ones was totally a random one that has absolutely nothing to do with the story. Send suggestions, I'd like to know what you think!**

**I am currently working on a new chapter, but it might not be up until the weekend, lo siento.**

**(I'm not fluent in Spanish yet, but learning the language)**

**I feel bad about faking everyone out so here is a clipping from the original Lucky Ones, the bad version that I trashed because I hated it! :) nah, I won't do that to you guys, unless you want.**

**FINALLY, what kind of fic would you like me to do next? Harry Potter would be the easiest, but I also love the Rick Riordan books, and the Hunger Games, (I could do a "better love story than Twilight parodyish fic with a lot of time and patience :). Lord of the Rings, the Last Dragon Chronicles, Narnia, and anything Disney. Let me know what you want next, I'm really open to anything.**

**Here is a little cutting from a Marauder story I started writing down:**

* * *

"Evans!"

"No, Potter!"

"But—"

"No!"

James sulked, but only for a moment. He took once last glance at Lily Evans and sprinted up the marble staircase, heading for the Gryffindor third-year boys' dorms.

He threw the door open, startling its occupants—Peter Pettigrew, Remus Lupin, and Sirius Black.

"Mates, I've just had the most brilliant idea!" he announced, jumping onto his bed in excitement.

Sirius raised an eyebrow from where he was lounging on his bed and twirling his wand between his fingers. "Does it involve hanging Snivellus' greasy underpants from the Slytherin hourglass?" he asked, interest piqued for a moment.

James shook his head, still bobbing up and down on his bed.

Sirius sighed dramatically. "Then I have no interest."

Remus Lupin shut his eyes, dizzy from watching James in constant motion. "What's your idea, James?"

The boy's glasses nearly slipped off his face as he shouted, "I'm going to call Evans Lily!"

The other boys stared at him.

James continued. "I realized how much nicer she is to the people who call her Lily, and how she always says no to me, and I call her Evans, so I figured, I just have to call her Lily and maybe she'll say yes!"

Peter gasped in admiration. "I think that might work, James!" James beamed.

Remus returned to his book, muttering about how unbelievable it was that James had made it to third year, with the way his brain works.

Sirius sighed dramatically again. This time he pocketed his wand and slid off his bed. "James, mate, feel free to call Evans Lily, but it's not going to get her to go out with you."

Peter's eyes widened and Remus rolled his. James' puppy-like excitement fell away a bit. "How do you know?"

Sirius tapped his temple wisely. "I just know these things."

James leaped off the bed. "It will work, Sirius! I'm going to try it right now!"

With that he ran back out of the dorm, headed down to the Great Hall to ask Lily Evans out again.

James entered the dorm again, dragging his feet and holding a hand to his cheek. A bright red, Lily-sized handprint was swelling there.

Sirius shook his head, shaking his silky black hair into his face to mask his grin. "I told you it wouldn't work, old pal."

James looked devastated.

"Maybe you should try again tomorrow, with chocolates," Peter suggested, mouth watering at the thought of Honeydukes finest nougat and almond chocolate.

James' face lifted at the thought of another attempt but Sirius quickly pushed it down.

"No, Pete, James can't ask Lily out anymore."

"_What?!" _James was horrified, Peter echoed him shortly after. Remus carefully marked his page and shut his book, amused.

"What is James without asking Lily out every hour, Sirius?" he asked, joining their conversation.

"Yes, what am I to do? Study?" James seemed disgusted by the idea of such a suggestion.

Sirius let out a barking laugh. "Ah, mates, this is Sirius Black you're talking to. If it's a woman issue, I got this under control."

Remus said wryly, "Yes, Sirius, you have such experience with girls because you're thirteen and have had seventeen girlfriends in the past three years, none of which lasted more than a week and each ending with some sort of slap in the face for you."

James was still mournful over the thought of not asking out Evans every day.

Sirius defended himself. "No, Danielle Macfrewan in Ravenclaw, she lasted at least two weeks!"

"Her name was Renee Macfrewan, and she was in Hufflepuff, and she only lasted that long because Patricia Quimby was set on going out with you before term ended, and you needed a reason to turn her down."

Sirius grinned. "Oh, yeah."

Peter laughed.

"But what about Evans?" James asked, pleading with his friends to please, hear his sorrow!

Sirius patted his friend's back. "Don't worry mate. Just...ignore her, and see how she copes without you asking her out every moment of the day."

"She'll love it," Remus muttered under his breath.

James looked skeptical. "I don't know, Sirius, then she might think I don't like her anymore!"

"Exactly," he said, flopping back onto his own bed.

Peter watched them both, face lit up like always in eagerness.

"Maybe you should try it, James," Remus said. "I think that if you give it a break, then Lily will have the chance to think it over, and then she might consider it."

Sirius looked smug.

"Do you really think so?" James asked, like a little kid asking if Santa was coming.

Remus was absorbed in his book again.

Sirius laughed his barking laugh again. "Well, if Remus Lupin thinks it'll work, it must work! Operation—" He paused to think, then grinned. "—Ignore Evans is in effect now!"

He clapped his hands together loudly. Peter looked excited, Remus paused his reading to comment ("How creative."), James was still a little skeptical, though his usual light and energy was slowly trickling back with this new prospect.

Sirius smirked and lay back on his bed, congratulating himself on the sure success of his idea.

* * *

The next morning at breakfast the four boys sat together, buttering toast. They talked about simple things, like the softness of the butter and how blue the sky looked. Peter was just commenting on how he thought he had a pair of socks that precise color when Lily Evans and Mary Macdonald walked into the Great Hall. The Hall quieted ever so slightly, as every person waited for James to ask, as was routine, "Evans! Go out with me?"

But today four boys knew for sure that wasn't going to happen. Well, three boys thought for sure that it wasn't going to happen.

James was entertained by the sound the knife made while spreading butter across the toast when he caught sight of red hair. He turned halfway in that direction, then turned back, remembering Sirius' idea. He heard Lily's voice come closer as she walked down Gryffindor table to join her friends. James felt a strange bubbling inside of him, like after he had drunk cola too fast. He fought the urge down.

He heard Lily's laugh, and felt a light tingle at his back when the edge of her schoolbag brushed him. He couldn't take it anymore.

Sirius' toast sailed through the air and landed on poor Larry Inglewall as James jumped out of his seat and grabbed Lily by the arm.

About half the Hall mouthed along with James as he rushed out, "Evans, will you go out with me?"

Remus, Peter, and Sirius groaned in harmony. Sirius was cursing James' lack of self-control—that lack of self-control had made him lose his breakfast!

The Hall mouthed as one, Lily's famed response.

"NO!"

* * *

**What did you think? I lied, this isn't from a story I wrote before, I actually just wrote all of this now. I'm pretty proud of myself.**

**While I was writing I was thinking that maybe I could turn this into a series of one-shots, and each one is of James asking Lily out a new time. Or maybe I could elaborate on this and post it as a one-shot.**

**I suggest rereading the top Author's Note, and send in suggestions, please! If you're an author feel free to PM me, it's easier to communicate, especially if you have questions about Lucky Ones.**

**Thanks, and I apologize again for the total psyche!**


	11. Chapter 10 (for real)

**Here it is! Thanks to everyone who gave suggestions, or reviewed, or followed, or favorited. Don't worry, you all get a mention at the bottom. **

**This one is 4k again. :O yeah. It would have been about 6k, because i really wanted to start the third task next chapter, but it would have been too much in one. SO. READ ON.**

**EDIT: IMPORTANT: Check the AN on the bottom for an important note**

* * *

Chapter Ten

_He cast a nervous look at Granger. "Honestly, not really."_

_I grinned. "There you go, Granger. The victim doesn't think I'm going to kill him."_

"_I came to tell you that Draco and I are officially dating now."_

_Harry cursed Ron in his head. "Er, well...yeah, we walked..."_

_Bagman announced, "The champions have one hour to complete the task! Champions, bring back what you have lost, the possession you miss most! On the count of three—"_

* * *

"—I could've taken those mer-idiots any time I wanted." Ron finished with a proud smile.

"What would you do, snore at them?" Hermione snapped peevishly, stabbing at her homework in a savage way. She was rather fed up with people teasing her about being the one thing Viktor Krum would sorely miss. Ron's stories about what had happened at the bottom of the lake were getting more and more ridiculous, when in truth Dumbledore had told them that they would be put under a safe enchantment that would put them to sleep, and they'd wake up when they rose out of the water again.

It was now Friday, the day before the next Hogsmeade visit, and Sirius had sent Harry an owl that morning, asking Harry to meet him in Hogsmeade, with food.

In Potions that day, Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked in and spotted Malfoy and his gang huddled over something, laughing and making snide comments.

Malfoy's eyes glinted as they sat down. Pansy Parkinson smirked and yanked something out from their huddle.

"You might find something to interest you there, Granger!" she shrieked, throwing it at them.

Hermione caught it reflexively. It was a magazine.

_Witch Weekly_, it said. On the cover was a picture of Hermione, and Harry and Krum were at her sides. The heading below read, _Harry Potter's Secret Heartache. _Hermione ripped it open and flipped to the article.

"What rubbish!" she said, folding the magazine and putting it under the table. Then she became thoughtful. "There is something though...how could Rita have known that Viktor asked me to visit him over summer?"

Snape came over and snatched the magazine from the table. "What's this? _Harry Potter's Secret Heartache? _Oh, but of course Potter has to keep up with his press cuttings..."

* * *

Harry was thrilled that the Hogsmeade trip had arrived, so that he could see Sirius.

Hermione had suggested buying socks for Dobby, as thanks for giving Harry the gillyweed for the second task. They spent a good half hour doing in Gladrags Wizardwear, doing just that.

They stopped off in Honeydukes, to stock up on sweets. Hermione headed straight for the Tooth-flossing String Mints—her parents had loved them at Christmas, and wanted more.

Ron grabbed six different fudge bars and bought them.

Harry went towards the back, where all the chocolates were. He was deciding between a two-pound bar of toffee-filled chocolate, or three Chocolate Frogs.

He had decided on the chocolate bar and was replacing the Chocolate Frogs, when he felt a light shove from behind and he dropped one of them.

He glared and turned, mouth open to protest at the offender when he froze.

Draco Malfoy had Jez Riddle pushed up against the door that led to the back room. They were snogging fiercely.

Harry turned red and fumbled to stack the Chocolate Frogs back on the shelf.

"Harry? Mate, let's get going, it's almost time to meet—" Ron stopped dead as he saw the scene before him. Hermione ran up behind him and gasped.

Jez and Malfoy broke apart and looked behind them, at the trio.

Jez gave a nervous little laugh and said, "Oops...sorry, we'll take this somewhere else..."

She made to pull Malfoy with her, out of the shop, but he stopped and sneered at Harry. "Jealous, Potter?"

Jez rolled her eyes. "Come _on_, Draco."

She tugged his arm again, but he had locked eyes with Harry.

Hermione scoffed. "Jealous of what, Malfoy? That you're snogging a cow and he isn't?"

Jez stopped and stared, open-mouthed, at her. "Seriously, Granger?"

Ron groaned. Harry and Malfoy were still staring each other down.

Hermione put her nose in the air and gave a tiny smirk.

Jez seethed. "So if I'm a cow, Granger, what does that make you? The slut, like Skeeter's been kindly calling you?"

Malfoy laughed, and Ron turned red. Harry felt a little rage building up in himself.

"Jez, what's up with you?" Ron asked, glaring at her.

She made a face. "Sorry, Ron, but it's Granger—she brings out the worst in me." She cast a mocking smirk at Hermione. "I hate you."

"Oh!" went Hermione, pulling out her wand. Jez let go of Malfoy and drew her own.

"Hey, Hermione, calm down a bit—"

"The Pimple-Jinx, Jez, _Furnunculus_!"

Ron roared and charged Malfoy, but was stopped by the shopkeeper grabbing the back of his jacket.

"Out, all of you, out now!" he yelled, waving an Acid Pop.

All five students left the shop, each seething. Jez yelled, "I didn't buy my Chocolate Frogs!"

Harry took a deep breath. "We're late, we really should go," he muttered to Hermione. He caught sight of Sirius, in his large black dog form, watching the students.

Hermione was glaring at Jez, her wand still out.

Jez was smirking. "Well, come on, Granger! Are you going to curse me or not?"

Harry held tight to Ron's arm, as he was struggling, fists ready, to reach Malfoy.

Hermione raised her wand. Her hand was shaking in anger. Jez had her own wand poised to defend herself. Her dark eyes glinted, and Harry was reminded of Tom Riddle in the Chamber of Secrets, as he twirled Harry's wand in between his long, pale fingers.

Harry muttered, "This is a bad idea, Hermione—"

She shouted, "_Flipendo_!" and a jet of bright light went spiraling towards Jez.

At the same time Hermione yelled her attack Jez had cried, "_Langlock!"_

Both girls were hit, and Jez went flying back as Hermione slapped a hand to her mouth.

Harry and Ron ran to her, asking if she was okay, and trying to remove her hand. She wouldn't talk—she couldn't talk.

Malfoy had kneeled beside Jez. His lips were moving as she tried to sit up, wincing.

"Are you happy now?" Ron shouted at them. "What did you use, Riddle, what'd you do to Hermione?"

Malfoy helped Jez to her feet and she hobbled over to them. Sirius trotted up to Harry, nudging his hand. Harry rubbed his ears, but focused on Jez, who was approaching Hermione.

"Relax, Ron, it just stuck her tongue to the roof of her mouth," she said, rubbing her back. "An old friend taught me."

"Well, take it off!" he said. Hermione glared at her as she raised her wand, about to undo the spell.

Malfoy scoffed. "I don't think she wants to talk again," he said snidely. Hermione shot him a look with daggers in it.

Jez muttered something, and Hermione gasped. "Oh," she said, rubbing her lips with her hand.

"You're welcome, Granger," Jez said, with only a little sarcasm.

To everyone's surprise Hermione looked up at her and said, quietly, "Thanks."

Jez gaped. Malfoy dragged her off, towards the Three Broomsticks.

"Thanks?" Harry queried. "You hate her."

Hermione shrugged. "I don't like her attitude. And at least she took the spell off...and I did call her a cow first."

Ron shook his head. "Women."

* * *

"Why don't you ask you brother if Crouch has been up to anything lately," Sirius suggested. They had just finished discussing Crouch and his history.

Ron nodded. "But we better not make it sound like Crouch is suspicious or anything, Percy loves Crouch, he won't hear it."

Sirius nodded. He tilted his head. "I've been meaning to ask...who was that girl, with Malfoy, who attacked you, Hermione?"

She sniffed. "Riddle."

He raised his eyebrows. "Come again?"

Harry elaborated. "Jez Riddle. She's from Beauxbatons, she's Malfoy's girlfriend, and, uh..." He cast a glance at the other two. They nodded. "...she's Voldemort's daughter."

Sirius stood straight up, incensed. "_That was_ _Voldemort's daughter?_ And she's _here_? Around _you_? She needs to be locked up, she _attacked_ you guys!"

"Sirius, calm down," Ron said. Hermione nodded.

"She's really not that dangerous, I thought she put Harry's name in the Goblet but she didn't—"

"Yes, Harry mentioned that before, but how do you know?" Sirius asked, still standing.

Hermione shifted. "We don't..." She added quickly as his face darkened, "But the only reason why she attacked me was because I provoked her first, and we don't really like each other, and she removed the spell anyway!"

"She's not that bad, and actually pretty nice," Harry said.

Sirius faced them. "It's probably an act! She can't be Voldemort's daughter and be _nice_, it's not possible!"

"He was never around her entire life," Harry said. "She told us herself."

Sirius slapped a hand to his forehead. "Why are you so trusting and naïve? She probably made it all up!"

"No, because Malfoy freaked out when he found out she told us," Hermione insisted. "Why would he be worried if it was just a story?"

Sirius shook his head. "No, there has to be something else..." He looked at Harry, a glint in his eyes. "You say she's nice, acts friendly?" He nodded. "Huh. She wants to befriend you...play her game."

"What?" Hermione asked.

"Play her game. She wants to be friends, whether for some ultimate plan or whatnot. So be her friends. Get close to her. Maybe you guys can earn her trust enough where she won't want to pull off her plan."

"I don't think she has an ultimate plan, Sirius," Ron defended.

Sirius shook his head. "You should go back to the school," he said. "Just do what I say. I don't trust her. Keep me posted on Crouch and the tournament. Write to me on how things go with Riddle." He grinned, and a mischievous twinkle crept into his eyes. "And she is, very pretty, Harry."

Harry turned red, remembering the conversation by the fire.

* * *

**(Jez POV)**

"Maybe she was drunk," Elle suggested.

I shook my head. "No way, no one could have performed and aimed a spell perfectly like that if they were drunk, not even Granger."

We were walking to dinner, discussing how Granger had thanked me, without venom, after I had removed the spell.

"And anyway, she wouldn't get drunk, not from what Draco's told me," I said as we entered the Great Hall.

Elle nodded, distracted. "Hey, Jez..."

"Yep?"

"Your Gryffindor friends want to talk to you..."

I looked over at their table and groaned. Ron was waving his arms at me, motioning for me to sit with them. I waved back uncertainly, then glanced over at the Slytherin table. I groaned loudly and stomped to the Gryffindors.

"Yes?" I drawled sweetly. Ron pointed to the seat across from him and Granger, beside Harry. I sat.

We sat in an awkward silence for a few moments before Ron nudged Granger. She glared at him, then said, "Jez..." I raised an eyebrow at my first name from her mouth. She swallowed, like she was about to say something difficult. "I'm sorry."

My mouth fell open. She continued. "I'm sorry...for, accusing you, and being rude to you, and hexing you, and calling you a cow." She blinked rapidly and stared at me expectantly.

I was still in shock. I felt a foot kick me from across the table. "Ow!" I cried in surprise. I glared at Ron, who whistled. "Um. Well, I am...sorry, Granger?"

"Hermione," she muttered through gritted teeth.

I raised an eyebrow. "Okay...Hermione."

Ron grinned. "Okay! Now everyone's happy, and we can get to know each other more over dinner!"

I made to stand abruptly from the table, but Harry grabbed my arm.

"Oh, hell no, Ron," I hissed, trying to free my arm. He had a strong grip. "Let _go_, Potter!"

"Look, Jez," Harry said. I looked down at him. He has really pretty eyes. Like, this really bright, captivating green...

I was snapped back when he kept talking. "We decided that since Ron and I get along with you well enough, that Hermione, once you two got over your issues, could possibly be friends, too."

I stared at them, and then laughed. "Are you mad? Granger and I will never _get over our issues_, as you put it—"

"I'm willing to give it a try," she said, staring me down. I'll admit her stare was a little intimidating. I got the feeling that I wouldn't like the consequences if I left the table.

With a huff I sat back down and spooned creamed corn onto my plate. "Well, let's begin the get to know you games, _friends_," I snapped, waving my fork dangerously.

Ron smiled cheerily. "I'll go first!" I rolled my eyes and took a leg of chicken. "Who named you Jez?"

I filled my goblet with pumpkin juice and replied, "It's Jezebel, actually. My...dad, named me, said it was the name of a Dark Queen. I guess that shows his ambitions for me."

The three nodded. "My turn," Granger—ugh, _Hermione_—said. "Who's your old friend that taught you that spell earlier?"

Oh. I glanced quickly at the High Table. "Um...I'm not supposed to tell." I rushed out, "My turn. How did you three become friends?"

They laughed and wove this crazy, yet plausible tale of a troll on Halloween, and Grang—Hermione, actually lying to a teacher. As the dinner continued I found myself getting more comfortable with these three. They had a lot of stories. But I don't like sharing stories from my past, like stuff about my dad and mum before we time traveled. Somehow I felt like these were the only questions they were asking.

* * *

I am a terrible person. I ditched my boyfriend, an easily jealous guy, and went to get chummy with his three enemies.

I apologized over and over to Draco, telling him that Granger had intimidated me (she really did...though she'll never know), and I had been a wimp, and all these ridiculous things. I was groveling. It was embarrassing.

"Draco, I'm so bloody sorry, I was going to the Slytherin table but those Gryffindors are mad, they'll do anything to get what they want. Ron kicked me, and Harry grabbed my arm, and I thought Granger was going to punch me in the face or something—"

Draco studied me, then shook his head. "You're unbelievable. Wimping out to a glare from the Mudblood? Though her punches are painful..."

I breathed a mental sigh of relief—he had believed me. I guess my dad's manipulative Slytherin side came in handy sometimes.

But then he eyed me. "And after all that you just stayed? Played their little game and made new friends?"

Shit. "Um. Yes...they're not so bad, just a little pushy with the questions."

Draco had a calm expression, which meant he was fighting the urge to blow up at me.

I continued quickly, "Who knows? Maybe by the end of all this I'll have some really good secrets on their little group, which I can share with my Slytherin friends?"

Draco's face relaxed just so. "Maybe, right?" He took a deep breath. "I still think you should have spent more time at the Manor as a kid," he said regretfully. "Teach you the right and wrong people."

I sighed. "You and your prejudices." I knew I was forgiven, so I gave him a huge hug and we might have snogged a little, before heading in to breakfast.

* * *

Draco brought me to the Manor for Easter holidays. It wasn't as bad as I had expected. Like he had promised, I stayed in Draco's wing of the house, and his parents stayed in theirs. We didn't even see each other at meals, since we just took our meals in our rooms. Narcissa fawned over me, since I was now her son's girlfriend. Lucius just nodded approvingly and said that my father would be proud. I tried not to wince at that.

On one day Narcissa had all the high-society purebloods over for an Easter brunch, and Draco and I asked if we could invite some friends. We had Blaise, Crabbe, Goyle, and Daphne over to play three-on-three Quidditch.

Easter holidays ended and we headed back to Hogwarts. I caught up with Elle about how our family was doing, and she gave me the extra-large Chocolate Frog they had saved for me. Then I had to find Ron, Harry, and Hermione and find out what they had done over holidays.

About a week into summer term I started hearing stories about a scuffle on the Quidditch pitch. Something about Crouch, and the champions, and the third task. I figured Harry would know, so I headed up to Gryffindor tower—or, where I thought it was.

"Brilliant," I muttered to myself as I realized I was lost. I was along some corridor with portraits and wooden doors lining the walls—it seemed identical to every other corridor in this school.

I was incredibly lucky and heard Ron's voice.

"...remind me what he said about You-Know-Who?"

I froze. Who had talked about my father?

Harry responded, "I've told you, he said he's getting stronger..."

I made a slight whimpering sound. I closed my eyes and took several deep breaths—

"Jez?" My eyes flew open.

"Oh, ha, hi, I was looking for you, I, uh, wanted to ask about the whole Crouch and Krum thing, and, uh...um, now I'm kind of curious about this thing about my dad?" This all came out in a rush.

Harry looked like a deer in the headlights. "Oh."

Hermione watched him nervously. Ron shuffled his feet.

Harry studied me. I hopped back and forth on my feet, biting my lip.

"Alright," he said. "Krum and I found Mr. Crouch when the champions were being showed the Quidditch Pitch, which is a maze now. He was babbling about his son, and Bertha Jorkins, and seeing Dumbledore. I thought he was crazy, and then he started to say some stuff about Voldemort getting stronger. I left him with Krum and went to get Dumbledore, and when we came back, Krum was Stunned, and Crouch was gone."

I made a face. "Voldemort getting stronger? But he was just babbling, right? Nothing was sensible?"

"He seemed the sanest while talking about him, so I have to believe that it's happening," Harry said.

"Oh..." I did not feel good. Then a thought popped into my head. "He doesn't know I'm here, right? He doesn't know I exist here?"

"Who, Voldemort?" he asked. I nodded.

Hermione shook her head. "I don't think so."

I blew a sigh of relief. "Thank Merlin."

Hermione gave a little tut. "Yes, thank Merlin that you're safe, but think about Harry! If You-Know-Who is getting stronger, that can't be good for him."

Ron shrugged. "Maybe with all this tournament stuff going on, Harry'll be so involved that he can't get to him."

"If what Crouch said is true, and he is getting stronger," I pointed out. "He could have been mad, too."

They all looked at me. "I just get the feeling that he was telling the truth," Harry said, rubbing his scar.

Hermione gave him a concerned look. Ron turned to me. "We're going to see Moody, to ask him if he saw anything on the Map, want to come?"

Harry and Hermione groaned and face-palmed. I was confused. "The Map?"

Realization crossed Ron's face. "Oh, right. You don't know..." He saw Harry's face and added, "They didn't want you to know..."

"Precisely, Ronald," Hermione said.

Harry shrugged. "Just come with us, Jez, this sort of involves you, too...since this is your dad we're talking about."

"Huh," I breathed, following them across corridors.

* * *

**(Third Person POV)**

"Professor Moody!" Harry called across the hall. The electric blue eye whizzed and stared at the four.

Moody turned to face them fully. "Ah, Potter...Granger...Weasley..." He paused, both eyes on Jez. "Who's this?"

"Jez Riddle, sir," she said politely.

Moody stiffened so slightly it was hardly noticeable. "Riddle...any relation, by any chance, to a certain Tom Riddle."

Hermione stifled a gasp. Ron gaped. Harry froze. Jez sucked in a breath.

"Er, yes sir. He...he was a, uh, close relative."

Moody studied her, almost thoughtfully. "Interesting...Jez Riddle..."

She shuffled uncomfortably. Moody seemed to snap back to the present. "Well, what can I do for you?" he asked.

"I'd like to ask you a question, about the Map I loaned to you," Harry said.

Moody nodded. "Come in, we can talk in my office."

Harry glanced at Jez. He caught her shiver.

"Did you find Mr. Crouch? On the Map?" Harry asked once they were situated.

Moody shook his head. "Took a leaf outta your book, Potter. Summoned it from my office to the forest. He wasn't on it."

"Maybe he Disapparated," Ron suggested.

Hermione sighed loudly. "You can't Disapparate on Hogwarts grounds, Ronald, how many times? There are other ways he could have left, right, Professor?"

Moody nodded. "Good thinking, Granger. Yes, there are a number of ways he could have left besides Apparation."

Harry thought. "But he wasn't invisible. The Map shows invisible people."

"Sorry, but what's this Map?" Jez asked.

Moody pulled it from his desk. "This." It was activated. Harry could see the Great Hall.

Harry explained, "It's the Marauder's Map. It's a map of Hogwarts, and shows where every person is, at any place, even if they're disguised or under an enchantment."

Jez nodded in wonder. "Cool. Is this what you had when you were going to the bathroom that one time, Harry?"

"Er, yeah."

Moody stuffed it back into his desk before they could get a good look at it. "Now, Dumbledore's told me that the three of you fancy yourselves investigators. But leave this to the Ministry, and me and Dumbledore. You just prepare for the third task, Potter, and you two—" his eye whizzed back and forth between Ron and Hermione. "—help him out."

Both his eyes settled on Jez. "Can I have a chat with you, Riddle?"

She opened her mouth, then closed it. "Uh, sure."

Moody gave a cracked grin. "Good. Well, off you go, I suggest you start preparing for the third task."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione left the office, leaving Jez behind, looking uncomfortable.

* * *

**(Jez POV)**

They shut the door behind them. I took a deep breath.

"So." Moody fixed both eyes on me. "Riddle, eh?"

I laughed, rather nervously. "Yeah."

"Dumbledore told me about a Riddle he taught once," he said. "Tom Riddle...your, close relative."

I swallowed. This man knew something that I wish he didn't. "He's dead."

Moody continued. "Dumbledore also told me who Tom Riddle became."

My mouth went dry.

"The Dark Lord." Moody kept both eyes trained on me, and took a sip from his flask. He shuddered.

"Um, yes, I was related to Vol—er, You-Know-Who. But he's dead, Harry Potter killed him."

"He's getting stronger," he said. My heart stopped. "He may gain enough strength to come back. Because Harry Potter didn't kill him. He merely...put him off, for a bit."

I moistened my lips. "That's not good."

"Oh? If he's a relative, don't you want him back?"

"Well he wasn't a brilliant dad, he was dead when I was being raised!" I snapped nervously. Then I shut my eyes, cursing myself.

Moody seemed almost satisfied, then it changed to shock. "Dad? The Dark Lord is your father?"

No use. I nodded.

He was silent for a moment. Then, "You don't seem Dark."

"I'm not."

"Could you be?"

What was going on? I thought this guy was a top Auror. "I don't think so."

His blue eye whirred around in its socket, and I sat uncomfortably. It seemed really hot in this room.

"Well, thank you for this chat, Miss Riddle," he said at last. "Perhaps you should go find Potter, help him practice. You seem close with them?"

"Sort of."

He nodded, looking satisfied. "Thank you, that's all."

As I stood to leave he added, "Riddle, it might be best if you didn't tell anyone, not even Potter, about our talk."

I stopped, and my eyes narrowed just so. "Yes...sir."

* * *

**So now Moody knows who she is...And Sirius :) **

**I realized that there are a lot of minor little plot issues that i should fix when i read the whole story last night. I'll probably go back and edit once the whole series is done. **

**This first book is probably going to go until partway through fifth year. **

**Thanks for all the title suggestions. Especially Old McVoldy Had a...KID?! LOL that was great.**

**What did you think about this chapter? Next one will be Harry's dream in Divination, then him going through the Pensieve in Dumbledore's office, and a little bit of the third task, maybe. **

**Fourth year is almost over! SO excited, I got tons more response on this than i expected, so thanks everyone and anyone who ever read even the first line of the first chapter.**

**EDIT: IMPORTANT: shadowkat678 is amazing and pointed out to me that Sirius might not have reacted the way he did when he heard about Voldemort's daughter being "nice" to the Trio, and i sort of agree. He is the one who defied his family, so he would respect and accept other people like that, right? I think that since all he saw of Jez so far was her hexing Hermione, he has a reason to think she's just like Voldemort, and wants to protect Harry from her, regardless of what the trio thinks of her. I like to think that Sirius' old habit of playing tricks is what prompted him to have Harry and the others "play her game." If you're fine with the way he reacted, let me know. If you think he'd react differently, like shadowkat678, please let me know. I could fix that when i go back for editing. Thanks!**

**THANKS TO DISNEY'S TOMORROWLAND AND BACK TO:**

**shinigamigymnast13**

**shadowkat678**

**Guest****(love ya)**

**rosie. horgan. 7**

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	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Eleven

"_Play her game. She wants to be friends, whether for some ultimate plan or whatnot. So be her friends. Get close to her. Maybe you guys can earn her trust enough where she won't want to pull off her plan."_

_I am a terrible person. I ditched my boyfriend, an easily jealous guy, and went to get chummy with his three enemies. _

"_...I thought he was crazy, and then he started to say some stuff about Voldemort getting stronger. I left him with Krum and went to get Dumbledore, and when we came back, Krum was Stunned, and Crouch was gone."_

_Moody seemed almost satisfied, then it changed to shock. "Dad? The Dark Lord is your father?"_

* * *

"Why can't we use Mrs. Norris, or something else?" Ron complained, rubbing his back and getting up after Harry had Stunned him.

"Harry needs to practice, Ron, and it's your own fault that you keep missing the cushions," Hermione replied.

There was a scoff from the other side of the Transfiguration classroom. Jez was twirling her wand between her fingers again. "Why don't you give it a go, Hermione, see how bad your back hurts after a few falls."

Hermione sniffed and ignored her. "I think Harry has the Stunning Spell down. That's all for today. Tomorrow we can do _Impedimenta_, it should slow down anything coming towards you, Harry."

Harry nodded and pocketed his wand. He helped the others stack the cushions in the corner.

Jez snapped her fingers. "Can't do tomorrow. Draco and the others are going on the pitch for a small Quidditch game."

Harry's heart ached for a Quidditch game. But he had to practice. "Alright."

"We'll be fine without you," Hermione said. Jez laughed mockingly.

Ron shook his head. "They'll never get along..." he mumbled desperately.

Jez laughed and left the room, ahead of the others.

Hermione's false smile dropped from her face. "Oh, I can't stand her. I can't wait for this year to end, then the tournament will be over, she'll be gone, and we don't have to play Sirius' little game."

Ron shrugged. "She's really not that bad. I think you really do bring out her worst." He cowered under Hermione's glare. "Er, wow, the time! Harry, mate, we should get to Trewlaney's, we're finishing planetary divination today!"

Harry sniggered. "Ooh, exciting. Yes, see you at dinner, Hermione!"

The boys ran out of the room, headed for the North Tower.

* * *

"_You are in luck, Wormtail. You are very fortunate indeed, for your blunder has not ruined everything. He is dead."_

"_My Lord! My Lord...I am so grateful...so pleased...so sorry..."_

"_Nagini. I am afraid that you will not be eating Wormtail tonight. We have more...interesting matters to discuss. He has discovered a curious girl. Little Jezebel...however did you end up here? My beautiful, tricky Aliya...time travel indeed..."_

"_My Lord...what...?"_

"_Silence, Wormtail. Perhaps another reminder why I will not tolerate another little blunder from you..."_

"_N-no, My Lord, p-please—"_

"_Crucio."_

* * *

The screaming...the pain...as if his very bones were being burned to ashes...

"Harry...HARRY!"

He opened his eyes, scar burning. He was on the squishy floor of the Divination classroom, clutching his scar. His eyes watered from the pain. The class was frozen and silent, and Trewlaney was huddled over him, eyes huge and excited behind her thick glasses. Ron was beside him.

"Are you alright?" he asked, looking terrified.

Trewlaney made a little squeak of excitement. "Of course not! What was it, Potter? A premonition? An apparition? It must have been the clairvoyant vibrations of my room—perhaps my very presence!"

"It was nothing," Harry coughed, throat hoarse. "I'd like to go the hospital wing."

"No, you must stay! What else do you See?"

Harry stood, shaking Trewlaney's bony hand off his shoulder. Ron gathered their things and they left the tower.

Harry veered off course to the hospital wing. Ron gave him a concerned look. "Mate, the hospital wing is this way..."

"No, you go, Ron, I need to see Dumbledore."

Ron gaped, both bags hanging from his hands. "Er, I don't need Madam Pomfrey, Harry, you're the one who was screaming in Divination..."

Harry shook his head. "This is important. I need to talk to Dumbledore."

He heard Ron sigh as he quickly walked to the Headmaster's office. Ron didn't follow him.

At the gargoyle, Harry realized he didn't know the password.

He rattled off many different candies. "Chocolate Frog!" He was reminded of Jez, who was addicted to the candy. "Er, Sugar Quills!" Still the gargoyle did not budge.

"Cockroach Cluster!" he yelled, rather sarcastically.

The gargoyle slid aside. Harry rushed up.

He heard Fudge, Dumbledore, and Moody having a conversation inside, about Crouch's disappearance, and Bertha Jorkins.

"...Potter wants a word with you, Dumbledore. He's just outside the door."

Harry froze at Moody's words. The wooden door swung open.

"Harry!" Fudge said, spinning his bowler hat on his hand. "We were just about to go down to the grounds, examine the area Mr. Crouch disappeared..."

"I need to talk to you, Professor," Harry said, looking pleadingly at Dumbledore.

The old man's blue eyes twinkled behind his glasses. "Ah, I suppose you would. Wait here, Harry. We'll only be a moment."

Harry stood silently as the three men left. The door swung shut, leaving Harry with Fawkes.

He sat in the chair before Dumbledore's desk. The portraits of past Headmasters and Headmistresses snored on. There was quiet clicking and whirring from Dumbledore's many delicate instruments. Harry gazed around the room, taking in the whimsicalities of Dumbledore's office.

He spotted a glowing blue light. Curiosity took over, and he got up to explore.

* * *

"_Igor Karkaroff...you say you have some names for us?"_

"_Ludo Bagman, you have been brought before the Council of Magical Law to answer charges related to Death Eater activity, concerning yourself."_

"_The four of you stand accused of capturing an Auror, Frank Longbottom, and subjecting him to the Cruciatus Curse—"_

"_Father, please, I didn't, don't send me there—"_

"_You are further accused of using the Cruciatus Curse on Frank Longbottom's wife—"_

"_I'm your son!"_

"_You are no son of mine."_

* * *

"It's called a Pensieve. It is useful for the times when I have much too many excess thoughts on my mind. One simply siphons those thoughts out of the mind, and places it in the Pensieve, for safekeeping."

Harry stared back and forth between the silvery substance and Dumbledore. "You mean...that swirly stuff...is your _thoughts?"_

"What is it you needed to tell me, Harry?"

"Well, sir, I was in Divination, and I—er, I fell asleep, and had a dream—a dream about...Lord Voldemort. He was torturing Wormtail...and he said that Wormtail's blunder was covered, or something, because someone was dead. He was going to feed him to the snake, this massive snake beside him. He mentioned Jez."

"Jez?" Dumbledore queried.

Harry bit his lip. Should he tell Dumbledore? He trusted him, but he didn't want to tell Jez's secret to everyone. Then again, this was Dumbledore, and he probably knew already.

"She's this girl, from Beauxbatons. She came because her cousin entered the tournament, or something. Jez Riddle."

Dumbledore's face became troubled for a moment. "I see." After a pause Dumbledore said, "Continue, please, Harry."

"Er, then Voldemort used the Cruciatus Curse on Wormtail, as a punishment, and the pain was so bad, it was unbearable...I was screaming, and I woke up."

"Ah."

* * *

Harry told everything to Ron and Hermione that night. About the Pensieve, his dream, Barty Crouch's son, the disappearances—everything he had learned and heard in Dumbledore's office. He left out the part about Neville's parents, figuring that was private information that Neville could share on his own.

"You told Dumbledore about Jez?" Ron asked, worried.

Hermione scoffed. "Of course he did. We should have a long time ago, you know."

"I think he knew already," Harry said. "He knew the name of her mother, even though she went to Beauxbatons, and he didn't ask that many questions about her. Anyway, I just told him that she goes to Beauxbatons, and came because of her cousin. He seemed to get it after I said her name was Riddle."

"Well, he is Dumbledore, he knows just about everything," Hermione reasoned.

"But listen to this—now Voldemort knows about Jez, and knows she's here, in this time," Harry said urgently. "He said she was an interesting matter, which means she must be part of some plan."

"Maybe he'll try to take her back," Ron said fearfully.

"I wonder how he knows all of this?" Hermione wondered.

* * *

**(Jez POV) **

I wasn't hanging around Ron, Harry, and Hermione as often anymore. In fact, I rarely was with them. Must have been a phase.

They just seemed...secretive. Like there was something that urgently needed to be discussed, but only among themselves. They would give me these wary looks, like they were either scared of me, or scared for me.

Whatever. Draco and the gang are much more fun to be around.

Today we were outside among the students milling about the courtyard. Just me, Draco, Daphne, Blaise, and the thugs. We were trying to guess what Daphne had gotten her sister Astoria for her birthday when that dratted Parkinson ran up, something cupped in her hands.

"You will not believe this!" she shrieked. I winced. "You know all those articles, written by Rita Skeeter?"

"Yes..." we all drawled lazily.

"Well, I have her here, she wants dirt on Potter!"

Draco shot up from his cozy position as my headrest. I protested, and grumbled as I regained my balance.

"What do you mean—"

Pansy opened her hands, revealing a shiny green beetle. I shied away. Bugs were not my thing.

"She's an Animagus. If we talk to her, she'll remember, and write another article on Potter!"

Daphne screwed her nose. "Isn't this illegal?"

"Who cares?" Draco laughed, cupping his hands. I pursed my lips. Skeeter writes trash. But I felt that I owed it to Draco, to stick by him against Harry for once, since much of my time before had been spent—wasted, I was now thinking—around those three.

Skeeter-beetle fluttered to his hands.

"So...dirt on Potter..." Draco grinned. "He's a Parselmouth."

I startled. Really? Impossible, only Slytherin's line had that blood.

"There were attacks on the school a couple years back, and everyone thought he was behind them, because he set this great snake on another boy after losing his temper at a Dueling Club. It was all kept quiet, though."

I took in this new information. I remember Draco telling me this story, and he was not sharing it right. If he was telling the truth the first time, then it was him who had created the snake, and Harry had claimed he was telling it to back off of the other boy. Draco and his lies.

"He's also made friends with werewolves, and that giant brute, Hagrid."

I cocked my head. "Giant brute? He's only half giant, and he's really nice!"

They all raised an eyebrow at me. Skeeter buzzed out of Draco's hands and flew towards me. I shrieked and backed away, swatting a hand at her.

The others laughed. "Looks like Jez doesn't want to be in the story, Skeeter," Draco said, wrapping an arm around me.

I smirked. "It's an article about Harry, why should I?"

Skeeter buzzed around a bit, then flew off.

"That was so illegal," Daphne said, shaking her head.

* * *

The next morning I dressed in my blue robes, but I also pinned a small Gryffindor lion to my chest. It was the day of the third task, and I was supporting Fleur and Harry.

I settled into breakfast with Draco and the Slytherins, since I planned on watching the third task with the Beauxbatons students.

I had just thrown a piece of my toast at Blaise for calling me Mrs. Malfoy when Draco burst out laughing.

We all stared at him. "What, is the idea of me marrying you that funny?" I asked, confused and slightly hurt.

He shook his head. "Look at this..."

He showed us his newspaper.

_HARRY POTTER: DISTURBED AND DANGEROUS_

I groaned. Harry didn't need this, not on the day of the third task. I glanced over at them, two tables away. Ron and Hermione were trying to hide the newspaper, but Harry, who was sitting facing me, was giving them a look, like "I-don't-want-to-know-but-show-me-anyway."

Pansy had snatched the article and was reading it in a high-pitched voice, giggling. I closed my eyes and silently sent out my concerns for Harry.

"Potter! Hey, Potter! How's your head?" Draco yelled across the Great Hall. I winced.

I grabbed Draco's arm and hissed, "I didn't know she was writing for the _Prophet_!"

His smirk slipped just a bit. "What do you mean?"

"She published an article with false information about Harry in the worldwide newspaper!"

"I know! It's brilliant!"

I shook my head. "Poor Harry..." I got up from the table and ran over to the Gryffindor table. I didn't see Draco narrow his eyes at me.

Hermione was just rushing up as I approached them, saying something about the library. I blinked as she passed me. Harry and Ron looked surprised.

I slid into Hermione's spot. "Hey."

Harry looked at me. Those eyes... "Hi, Jez."

I sighed. "So, er, the article..."

He laughed half-heartedly. "Yeah, she's gone off me a bit, hasn't she?"

Ron laughed. I chuckled slightly.

"You speak Parseltongue?" I whispered, leaning across the table.

His expression became guarded. "Yeah."

I stared into his green eyes, then leaned across more and hissed in his ear, "_Impossible."_

He gave a sharp inhale. "You too?"

Ron looked confused. I nodded. "It's a Slytherin's blood kind of thing."

Harry shook his head. "Can't be, because I don't have Slytherin blood."

I shrugged. "True..."

Ron finally understood. "What, you mean the Parseltongue?" he asked rather loudly.

Harry and I both shushed him.

* * *

**(Third Person POV)**

Harry heard a clunking behind him. He turned. "Oh, hello, Professor Moody," he said, surprised.

Moody grunted. "Nice article, Potter." Harry made an "ah" noise.

Moody turned his eye on Jez. "Riddle, can I have a talk in my office?"

Jez opened her mouth. "Er, yeah, sure..."

Moody grunted again and headed for the entrance hall. Jez gave Ron a quick hug, then leaned across the table again and gave Harry a quick kiss on the cheek. Harry turned red, and Jez was slightly pink as she pulled back. "I'll be cheering you on," she said, not looking at him. She ran out after Moody.

"Blimey, Harry, who was that?" Seamus asked interestedly.

Ron gave Harry a shocked look. "I hope Malfoy didn't see that," he said in a low voice.

Harry looked over at the Slytherin table. Malfoy was too busy clutching his head in mock pain to notice anything.

* * *

**(Jez POV)**

Moody was grumbling and grunting as we walked up stairs, to his office. His eye whirred, and his wooden leg clunked.

"Er, excuse me, sir, but what did you need to talk to me about?" I cowered slightly as his head turned, and his blue eye fixed on me.

"You shouldn't go around speaking Parseltongue in public, Jezebel," he said.

I shuddered at the use of my full name. Then I became skeptical. How did he know—did I ever tell him it was really Jezebel?

"Okay..." I said.

We reached his office. I went in first, and sat in the chair I sat in last time. Moody clicked the lock on the door.

I narrowed my eyes. "Um, professor...sir, why lock the door?"

He smiled, almost...maliciously. "So that no one can come in."

He picked up a small, broken Sneakoscope from his desk. "Catch, Miss Riddle," he said, tossing it to me.

I caught it, surprised. And then I went tumbling through space, screaming and inwardly cursing myself for not reading the signs earlier. Clearly this Moody guy wasn't safe.

With an "oomphf" I landed on hard grass. My hands flew out, and I heard something shatter. I lay there, facedown, waiting for my head to stop pounding. At last I sat up, and froze.

The Sneakoscope must have been a Portkey, because I was no longer in Moody's office. I was in a graveyard.

Fear took over as I realized that I was lying on someone's grave. The headstone was at the head of my body. I squinted at the name on the stone.

_TOM RIDDLE_

I let out a shriek and searched frantically for the Sneakoscope, to take me back. My panic rose as I realized that the shards of glass beside another headstone was the remains of my passage back. I was stranded.

I screamed. Then I heard a high, chilling laugh. A terrible voice that would haunt me forever fell across the graveyard.

"_Jezebel..."_

My breathing was quick and shallow. I turned, slowly, terrified.

A grimy looking man stood there, with a bundle cradled in one arm. The other arm had a wand aimed at me. The bundle shifted, and a horrible, pale white face stared me in the eye. I should have gone for my wand, but I was frozen.

"_Capture her."_

"STUPEFY!"

* * *

**Shorter chapter, i skipped over a lot. Because i figure that we all know the basis of Goblet of Fire, so i don't need to retype the entire book in my story. **

**Jez is at the graveyard. What did you think on how i did that, stupid? decent?**

**Like i said, next chapter should be nice and loong, with a lot of twists and THE THIRD TASK.**

**Please let me know about the pottersues thing. i spent about an hour yesterday reading the whole livejournal page. It's pretty interesting, basically the guy picks out fanfics with OCs in them and rates them, and criticizes them.  
**

**Um...School in a week and a half. Crap. :)**

**THANKS FROM THE NORTH POLE AND BACK(feeling creative today) TO: **

**shadowkat678**

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**THANKS ALL! **


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Twelve

"_...He has discovered a curious girl. Little Jezebel...however did you end up here? My beautiful, tricky Aliya...time travel indeed..."_

_They just seemed...secretive. Like there was something that urgently needed to be discussed, but only among themselves. They would give me these wary looks, like they were either scared of me, or scared for me. _

_A grimy looking man stood there, with a bundle cradled in one arm. The other arm had a wand aimed at me. The bundle shifted, and a horrible, pale white face stared me in the eye. I should have gone for my wand, but I was frozen. _

"_Capture her."_

"_STUPEFY!"_

* * *

Harry had spent the day in a rather enjoyable fashion, easing his nerves by walking around Hogwarts with Mrs. Weasley and Bill, who had come as his "family". They had a good time sharing stories from their various Hogwarts days.

At last it was time for dinner. Harry joined the Weasleys and Hermione for more stories, this time all about the Weasley family.

He had almost convinced himself that he wasn't nervous for the third task. And then Ludo Bagman stood.

"Could the champions please follow me down to the stadium? The rest of you will follow in five minutes."

The Great Hall erupted into cheers as Harry, Cedric, Fleur, and Krum stood and walked to the doors. Ron and Hermione wished him good luck. Harry cast a glance at the Slytherin table, looking for Jez. He hadn't seen her since breakfast.

She wasn't by Malfoy. He looked at the Beauxbatons table. She wasn't among the crowd chanting in French.

Harry shook his head. She was probably off doing something else, who knew? It was Jez after all...

The champions passed the Whomping Willow. Harry laughed to himself, remembering third year. He wondered what Lupin would be doing now. He wondered if Sirius would come to the task. He wondered how many rats Sirius had eaten since they had visited him in Hogsmeade.

"Ah, here we are," Bagman said jovially. Harry snapped out of his nervous mental babble.

Within a few minutes the stands of the pitch began to fill. The champions stood silently beside each other, about five feet from the maze entrance.

Ludo Bagman explained the task to the crowd. Harry and Cedric, tied for first, would enter the maze first. Krum would go in ten minutes after them, and Fleur ten minutes after him.

Bagman's whistle blew. Harry and Cedric entered the maze, walking side by side. They reached a fork in the path.

Harry went left, Cedric went right.

* * *

_Cedric was standing feet from the Triwizard Cup, which was gleaming behind him. _

"_Take it, then," Harry panted to Cedric. _

"_You take it. You should win. That's twice you've saved my neck in here."_

"_That's not how it's supposed to work," Harry said, panting. "Stop being so noble, just take it, and then we can get out of here."_

"_No."_

"_Both of us. We'll take it at the same time. It's still a Hogwarts victory. We'll tie for it."_

"_One—two—three—"_

_Instantly Harry felt a jerk behind his navel. His feet left the ground. He could not unclench the hand holding the Triwizard Cup, it was pulling him onward in a howl of wind and color, Cedric at his side._

* * *

"The Cup was a Portkey," Cedric said, examining it.

Harry was taking in his surroundings. "Is this part of the task?" he asked, shuddering at the gravestones.

Cedric shrugged. "Wands out, d'you reckon?"

"Yeah..."

Both boys drew their wands and stood close to each other. There was a small clearing made by a circle of grave markers not far away. Harry spotted a clutter of shattered glass beside one of the headstones.

"Harry, there's a body over there," Cedric whispered, nodding towards a tall marble headstone in the circle.

They cautiously made their way over to the unmoving form lying at the base of the marble. Harry gasped.

"_Jez?"_

It was certainly her, recognizable by her blue robes and dark hair. Harry's breath caught as he realized that she wasn't responding.

He rushed to kneel beside her. "Jez—Jez, please wake up..."

Cedric came over and pointed his wand at her. "_Ennervate."_

Harry gave a relieved sound as she gasped and opened her eyes to look up at him. Her eyes were large and scared.

"Oh! Harry, what on earth? Get out of here, he's here, he has a form, he—"

"Jez, slow down, what are you talking about?" Harry asked, confused.

She took a shaky breath. "My dad...he's here..."

Harry looked around. His blood went cold as he realized where he was. Not too far away was the tall, intimidating black mansion he had seen in all his recent dreams...the ones with Wormtail and Voldemort.

Cedric was confused. "What do you mean? Who are you, again?"

Jez was shaking. "He is getting stronger, Crouch wasn't lying...Harry, you need to go back...how did you get here?"

"Someone's coming," Cedric said quietly.

Harry listened. Soft footsteps were approaching. There was a quiet slithering sound. Jez's breath caught.

There was a massive snake sliding across the grass towards them.

"No..." Jez whispered, whimpering.

A dark, hunched over figure appeared. It stopped at the edge of the circle, a mere six feet away from them.

There was a small bundle in the figure's arms. It shifted slightly.

Harry yelled out in pain. It started out as a yell, and then turned into an all-out scream. He clutched his scar and bent over, in so much pain. He couldn't see, his head felt like it would split in half, his entire being felt on fire.

Jez was screaming. She was tearing at her hair, and threw her head back and screamed to the skies.

Cedric stood, wand steady, eyes terrified, as the figure came just so much closer.

"Who are you?" he asked, voice shaky, lost in the screams of his companions.

A terrible voice. Raspy and dry, yet chilling and cold. High, powerful, terrible.

"_Kill the spare."_

Harry bent farther towards the ground. Jez screamed louder.

"_Avada Kedavra!"_

Harry let out a heart-wrenching yell and watched through streaming eyes as Cedric fell. The green light sped towards him, and hit him straight in the chest. He lay spread-eagled on the grass, eyes wide open, lifeless.

"_Quiet her."_

"_Stupefy!"_

Jez crumpled to the base of the headstone again. The only noises now were Harry's shallow, gasping breaths, the snake's slithers, and the footsteps of the figure coming closer.

The figure, now revealed to be a small man, grabbed Harry by the arm and jerked him to his feet. With another spell, coils of ropes bound Harry to the marble headstone, Jez at his feet. Harry twisted his head to read the name of the dead man below him.

_TOM RIDDLE_

He gasped and struggled against the bonds, but they were tied well. Harry glimpsed the man's hands. One had a finger missing. It was Wormtail.

Wormtail Summoned a huge black cauldron to the clearing. It was large enough for a fully grown man to curl up on the bottom.

Another spell lit a fire beneath the cauldron.

Wormtail exposed the bundle in his arms. It shifted again, revealing a terrible, pale white, snakelike face.

Harry's head split with another pain-filled scream.

The pale face cast one red-eyed stare at Harry, before Wormtail tipped it into the bubbling black cauldron.

* * *

"_Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son!"_

"_Flesh—of the servant—w-willingly given—you will—revive—your master."_

"_B-blood of the enemy...forcibly taken...you will...resurrect your foe."_

* * *

The water inside the cauldron turned a blinding, bright white. It bubbled over the edges, and Harry yelled out again. The steam was so thick, so dense...the pain was so great...

Through the steam and his blurry eyes Harry saw a tall figure emerge from the mist. A tall, skeletal, red-eyed figure.

"_Robe me."_

Wormtail held his gushing hand close to his body and sobbed, but used his other hand to give black robes to the tall figure.

The thick steam cleared away. Harry was whimpering.

In the center of the clearing, a man...a being, stood alone. He stared at Harry. Harry stared back, at the face that had haunted him his entire life.

Pale white skin, a flat, snakelike nose, with slits for nostrils, and burning, scarlet, blood-red eyes.

Lord Voldemort had risen.

He examined his new body, slit nostrils flaring in and out with every new breath. One pale, long-fingered hand reached into a pocket of the robes and drew a wand.

His red eyes made contact with Harry's. With a flick of his wrist, Harry's bonds disappeared, and he fell on Jez's unconscious form. Voldemort laughed, a high, cold, merciless laugh.

Wormtail crawled over to him.

"My Lord...y-you promised..." he extended his bloody stump of a hand to him.

Voldemort disregarded him by stepping around him. He stepped silently to Harry and Jez.

"Harry Potter." His name was spoken with such disdain, coldness, and malice, masked by politeness.

Harry shook, not looking up at his enemy. His eyes found his wand, lying a foot away from Cedric's body.

"Look at me, Harry Potter."

Harry felt an invisible force lift his chin, and his eyes moved until they were making eye contact with Voldemort's terrible red ones.

"You are on my daughter, Harry Potter."

Voldemort flicked his wrist and Harry went flying through the air, away from the marble headstone. His flight was stopped by another headstone, which he hit with a painful crash.

"_Ennervate."_

* * *

**(Jez POV)**

The black on my mind cleared away. I opened my eyes and my breath caught.

The most terrible white face was before mine. Deadly red eyes were a trap for my own. I found myself unable to break from his cold gaze.

"Jezebel," he said in his chilling voice. "How you've grown."

I gasped as a cold shudder passed through me. Cedric was dead, I remember the green light from before the blackness. Where was Harry?

"He is under control. Useless."

I shook my head. "Get out," I mumbled.

He laughed. "Of where, my dear?"

"Of my head...don't call me that..." I trailed off, head pounding. I was panicking again.

"Jezebel? Your name?" He was mocking me.

"It's Jez," I coughed, stronger. "I don't answer to Jezebel."

He laughed coldly again. "Where did this passion come from? This fire? Not from your mother." I took a gasping breath again. "No, Aliya was submissive, compliant. Obedient. All your resistance...your rebellious nature...it comes from me."

"She was brave."

"She was a coward. She ran, because she could not handle the power I was gaining."

I hacked harder, breaking our eye contact to bend forward to cough my lungs out. I glimpsed Harry not too far away, stirring slightly.

"Now, Jezebel...I've missed you. Aliya took you away from me, I barely got to know you. You have grown into a beautiful young girl, just like her...How would you like to come with me? Learn from me, conquer the world with me!"

"Don't, Jez," I heard Harry rasp.

My father and I both turned. I felt in my pockets for my wand. It wasn't there. I looked around frantically. Then I spotted Wormtail, holding both mine and Harry's in his good hand.

"Ah, yes, Harry Potter. You've met my daughter? You'll agree that she is beautiful? She so resembles her mother, though her eyes are mine..."

I watched Harry with worry as he got to his feet. There was a terrible gash on his leg, and his eyes seemed clouded, faded. But there was small determination in them.

"Tom Riddle...what do you want?" Harry kept shooting me quick glances, as though he were worried that I'd disappear or something.

"I want many things, Harry Potter...the first one I'll get is my followers...Wormtail!"

The dirty little man shuffled forward, still clutching his arm to his now bloodied robe."M-my Lord."

"You arm, Wormtail."

"Oh, thank you, Master, you are so kind—" He offered his stump. My father sneered.

"Your other arm, Wormtail." His red eyes flashed. Wormtail whimpered and extended the arm holding our wands.

My father rolled back Wormtail's left sleeve, revealing a sinister tattoo of a skull, with a snake intertwined through the mouth.

He cast a glance back at Harry and me. "Perhaps you two should return to your places..."

He flicked his wand and Harry and I went flying back to my—grandfather's?—gravestone, this time side by side. Ropes bound us tightly.

"We have to get to the Cup," I hissed in his ear. "Harry..."

He wasn't responding, only watching in horror as my father pressed his wand to Wormtail's tattoo. The color changed from a faded grey to a bold, inky black. Harry yelled out, thrashing his head. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying not to wince as his screaming filled my ears.

"Who will come, when they feel the burn? Who will be foolish enough to stay away?"

Within minutes there was an incomplete circle of black-robed figures among us.

"Master..." Each one knelt before my father and kissed the hem of his robes, before taking their place in the circle. I swallowed hard when he looked over at me.

"Will you not join us, Jezebel?"

One of the figures turned sharply and stared at me through a hideous silver mask. I recognized the steel grey eyes, identical to his son's. Lucius.

I shook my head, careful not to hit Harry.

My father looked disappointed. "Very well. Soon...

"My friends...thirteen years since last we met...since last we gathered under the Dark Mark. And yet here you stand before me, as though it were only yesterday."

I closed my eyes and leaned my head back against the marble. My hands wriggled, and made contact with something warm and fleshy. Harry's hand. Without thinking I gripped it tightly. His breath hitched slightly, but he squeezed back.

My father was talking in his cold voice to the followers. He cursed them, punished them, made them feel pain. Harry and I both cried out with the victims.

Wormtail groveled, and my father gifted him with a new, lethal silver hand.

I wondered how long we had been here. The hand in Harry's felt cold. The circulation had been long gone.

"...and one, who remains my most faithful servant, and has already returned to my service. He is at Hogwarts, this faithful servant, and has been passing information to me the entire year. He is the one who first learned of Jezebel."

My head was pounding, but I heard this, and my eyes widened. I heard Harry's breathing slow and quiet. He was trying to listen.

"He is the one who brought our dear guests here tonight..." My father turned to give Harry and me malicious grins.

"Harry Potter...my dear Jezebel...I hope you are honored to be at my rebirthing party." The followers laughed.

He flicked his wrist. The ropes binding me to the marble headstone fall away, leaving me free, but Harry still tied up.

"Jezebel...I will ask you again. Will you join?"

I didn't answer. My eyes found Cedric's body, lying cold on the grass not far away.

"Ah...so you finally see the choices. Join me, be my daughter, live forever as a Queen of the World—or go back to school, an English girl in a French school, rebelliousness in a place with no tolerance. You have power and potential, that's suppressed by the people around you; I can show you your full potential! I can give you your full power!"

I hesitated. He made joining him sound like the obvious, most beneficial choice. A small part of me really wanted to say yes to him. That part grew.

But he had moved on, to torment Harry. "And Harry Potter...listen well, my friends. My rebirth was only made possible because of Mr. Potter here...the Boy Who Lived..."

His followers laughed. I stood silently, still weighing my options.

My father taunted Harry for a long time, mentioning Bertha Jorkins, and Wormtail, and the potion he used for his rebirth. He mentioned Lily, Harry's mother.

"...and here he is...the boy you had all believed had been my downfall..."

I lifted my head just in time to see Harry raise his, to stare my father in the eye. My father raised his wand and gave a terrible cry. "_Crucio!"_

Harry was screaming, and thrashing, but he couldn't go anywhere, he was bound to the headstone. It was horrifying. I screamed and cried out his name, and tried to run to him, but Wormtail grabbed my arm with his silver hand and held tight.

"_Harry!"_ I screamed, tears running down my face. I couldn't stand to watch anyone, especially him, in this kind of pain.

The followers, his Death Eaters, were laughing cruelly, calling him a squealing little pig, and my father was watching him with a satisfied smirk in those malicious red eyes. I heard Wormtail laughing half-heartedly in my ear. I sobbed.

Harry's screams stopped, and I looked up. He hung limply from the ropes, head hanging. His chest was heaving with labored breaths. I willed him to look at me, to make eye contact, but he was so weak.

Wormtail released me. I made to snatch my wand from him, but my father's black robes and pale feet appeared before me, stopping me cold.

"Why do you cry for that weak boy, Jezebel? You are above him, you are strong, powerful."

"He's...a friend." I choked out.

"Friends are only followers in disguise, Jezebel." He moved to stand before one of his followers. I made eye contact with Harry when he lifted his head.

We stared at each other for a few moments, each trying to convey everything in one short glance. My attention was ripped away when my father spoke again.

"Lucius. My faithful servant tells me that your son is courting my daughter."

"Yes, my Lord. My son Draco."

"Ah. And he is strong? You are proud of him, he is suitable for one such as Jezebel?"

"Yes, my Lord, though is there such a man that is fit for the Dark Queen?"

I shuddered as my father laughed. "Lucius...always a flatterer. I would like to meet Draco."

"Yes, my Lord."

With a swish of his robes he faced Harry again.

"Untie our guest, Wormtail, and give him back his wand."

I breathed a small sigh of relief as Harry was let down from the ropes. A tiny prick of worry rose in me when I saw him limp. His leg must be killing him. And the gash on his arm, where Wormtail had taken his blood, was still dripping.

"Harry..." I breathed. He shook his head so slightly at me.

The Death Eaters closed the circle, leaving my father, Harry, and me in the middle. Wormtail huddled by Cedric's body. The snake circled in between the feet of the followers.

"You have been taught how to duel, haven't you, Harry Potter?" my father asked in a loud voice.

I prayed that he had. I suddenly realized that Harry could very likely die right now. I had to get my wand.

Wormtail was outside the circle, I was inside. I could not break the chain...

"I said _bow."_ Harry cried out, and I whipped around to see Harry bent over unnaturally, controlled by my father's wand.

"You see, Jezebel, we are above them. We are the line of Salazar Slytherin, we will rise above people like Harry Potter, the weak ones...see how they bow to us already!"

I watched, horrified, completely forgetting my mission.

"And now, Harry Potter, we duel."

My father yelled out the Cruciatus Curse again, and Harry was screaming. This time, there were no ropes to keep him from moving, and he collapsed to the grass, being put through an invisible pain.

I shook my head to clear it and wiped a tear from my face. The Death Eaters were laughing. There was a hole, between Crabbe and Goyle Seniors. If I could just inch in between...

I breathed a quiet sigh of relief as I broke out of the circle. Wormtail was not even five feet away, watching Harry get tortured in awe.

I swallowed hard. Harry was still screaming.

I tiptoed across the grass until I was right behind Wormtail. I held my breath.

There was a hissing behind me. I looked down and stifled a gasp. The great python was in the grass, flicking its tongue and watching me.

"_You do not follow the Master,"_ it hissed. It was a she, I could tell by the feminine lilt in its voice.

"_The Master does not have control over me,"_ I hissed back. Wormtail turned around at the sound of the Parseltongue. He opened his mouth. I panicked.

I punched him squarely in the right cheek.

The scuffle I had caused went unnoticed by the sounds of my father torturing Harry, and the Death Eaters' laughter.

I made a face at the layer of grime on my knuckles from his disgusting cheek. The snake hissed furiously.

"_The Master's servant! You have disobeyed!"_

"_I never had orders,"_ I said, snatching my wand from Wormtail's hand.

Then I froze.

"Jezebel! What have you done over there?"

I thought quickly. Harry was lying on the grass. My father was watching me carefully. "I wanted my wand...he had it, and wouldn't give it...I... got mad."

"You do not need your wand," he said, giving me a skeptical look.

"I do, if—" I swallowed hard. "—if I want to help you torture Harry Potter." I sent a silent apology to Harry.

He looked surprised for a moment, then he laughed. The Death Eaters followed suit.

"Yes! Yes, my dear, come! Please, do what you'd like with Harry Potter!"

He waved his wand, and Harry was standing weakly again. I looked into his tormented eyes, then looked down.

I stood before him for a couple moments, before raising my wand and whispering, _"Diffindo."_

Harry cried out as a fresh gash appeared on his upper left arm. He gave me a pained look. I blinked and looked away.

"Yes, that's it, Jezebel..."

Harry's beautiful green eyes begged at me. I stared at him for a long moment, captivated, then horrified. What was I doing? Cursing Harry? For what? To stay in the good books with my insane father?

"Oh," I whispered.

"Go on, my dear daughter, give him another little cut..."

I took a deep breath. "I'm not your daughter."

He laughed. "You are my daughter, my flesh and blood, Jezebel."

"It's Jez. And blood only goes so far"

"Blood of Harry Potter gave me a body again, my girl."

"I don't want to join you." Shit, was I insane? Now he'll kill me...

He just laughed, as though I were a very entertaining dog doing a dumb trick. "My dear Jezebel, you have no choice. You join me, or you die."

I was about to retort that he wouldn't kill his daughter, but I knew he wouldn't think twice about it. So I took a different approach.

"You can't kill me. I'm the last descendant of Slytherin. Would you kill me, and destroy his line forever?"

Harry was staring at me, I could feel his beautiful eyes on me. But all that mattered now was the livid red eyes of my father.

"Yes...I can't kill you, without stopping the bloodline of the purest of wizards..."

He gave me a sinister smile. "But I am his blood as well, and I will never die."

He caught me off guard with another binding spell, this time binding me to a dark grey headstone.

I struggled. He just laughed. "Now watch, Jezebel, as I kill Harry Potter."

* * *

**(Third Person POV)**

Harry's body ached. His leg hurt, his arm stung, his head was pounding—there was no end to his misery.

For a moment he had thought Jez would join Voldemort. It had certainly seemed that way. He didn't understand why Jez had cursed him. But then he had seen her eyes, and the horror in them. He knew she was still there, still with Harry, instead of turning to her father.

Her bravery had been for nothing. She was bound again, and Voldemort was preparing to kill Harry.

The Portkey was unreachable. It was by Cedric's body, which was too far for Harry to get it and get to Jez in time, and bring them both back.

"Prepare to die, Harry Potter."

Harry hacked a breath, and rolled behind a headstone. Voldemort laughed.

"This is not hide-and-seek, Harry Potter. You merely postpone your death by hiding."

Harry knew Voldemort would use one spell. Harry only knew one spell to use in a duel. What good would disarming do him against magic death?

But when Voldemort's hideous face came around the side of the headstone, Harry was ready, leaping out and shouting his only hope, as Voldemort yelled _"Avada Kedavra!"_

"_Expelliarmus!"_

Their spells connected, the lights met in midair, and the green and red turned a thin, bright gold. The Death Eaters made noises of surprise, and they backed away. Voldemort's face had shock in it, but only for a moment. Then it turned to a determined ferocity.

Harry struggled to keep his hold on his wand, which was vibrating uncontrollably in his hands. He heard Jez shouting his name.

Then—his feet left the ground. He and Voldemort rose, connected by their wands, and a gold net of light emanated from the golden light, encasing the two in, and the Death Eaters and Jez out. A strange music was heard—phoenix song.

* * *

"_When the connection we will linger for only moments...but we will give you time...you must get to the Portkey, it will return you to Hogwarts...do you understand, Harry?" _

_What about Jez? The question blazed in his mind, but he couldn't find the energy to ask it. He just nodded tightly and focused on the golden light._

"_Harry...take my body back. Take my body back to my father."_

"_NOW!"_

_With an enormous effort Harry broke the connection, tearing his wand away and sprinting for Cedric's body. _

"_STUN HIM!"_

_Harry sent Impedimentas over his shoulder, ducking jets of light that flew towards him. At last he reached Cedric's body, and he spotted the Cup just out of reach, three feet away. _

_He cast one more glance at the place where Jez was tied. But the turmoil was too thick, he couldn't see her. _

"_ACCIO!" he roared, aiming his wand at the Cup. It flew towards him, connected with his hand—_

_The last thing he heard was Voldemort's desperate "AVADA KEDAVRA!" before he was tumbling through cold and darkness once more, going back to Hogwarts, Cedric's body beneath him...Jez left behind._

* * *

They landed with a hard thump on familiar grass. The grass of the Quidditch pitch.

He heard cheers, and Ludo Bagman's voice, but he just buried his head into Cedric's cold chest and sobbed.

The cheers turned into screams as the crowd realized that Cedric was dead.

Harry was jerked to his feet. It was Dumbledore.

"Harry...what happened?"

"He's back," Harry whispered between gasps. "Voldemort...he's back."

Cedric's father was holding his son's body tight, sobbing to the sky. The crowd was quiet, tense.

Cornelius Fudge approached Dumbledore and Harry. "Dumbledore...what is going on?"

"Harry needs to see Madame Pomfrey, Cornelius. He needs rest."

"But—"

"Lord Voldemort has returned, Cornelius."

"But—but, that—that's impossible—"

Dumbledore turned to talk to Fudge, and Harry felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Come along, lad," came Moody's gruff voice. Harry let himself be steered by Moody, not caring where they were going. He felt numb. Little sobs escaped him every now and then, but he didn't feel the pain in his leg, or the pounding in his scar, or the gash that Jez had—

Jez.

He gasped, and sprang to life. "Sir, Jez—Jez Riddle—where is she, she was there, and I don't think she made it back—"

"Relax, Potter. I'm sure she is still down at the stands."

"No, not there, she was _there_, where he came back—"

"The Dark Lord?" They were in Moody's office. Moody sat Harry down roughly in a chair, and shoved a potion down his throat. Instantly Harry's vision cleared, and the pain in his head lessened slightly.

"Yeah, Voldemort, he's back—" Harry gasped and rushed out, "He said there's a Death Eater here, at Hogwarts...where's Karkaroff?"

"Karkaroff?" Moody barked a laugh. "Karkaroff fleed when he felt the Mark burn."

Harry frowned. "But...if it wasn't him...then who...?"

"I did."

"_You...?"_

Harry sat in his chair, stunned, as Moody explained everything he had done to get Harry into the tournament, and keep him ahead, and how he had transported him to the graveyard.

"And as for your friend...Jez Riddle...she was there too, wasn't she? I expect that she won't be back. Either the Dark Lord kills her or Marks her. And if she's Marked, she won't want to come back."

Moody—not Moody?—laughed. "And imagine the pride my Master will have in me when I hand him not only his daughter, but Harry Potter...say goodbye, Mr. Potter..."

He raised his wand—

"_STUPEFY!"_

Moody was Stunned, and he fell to the floor. Harry whipped around.

In the office door stood Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape, each with wands out, each looking livid.

Dumbledore and Snape went to Moody, inspecting him, and deducing that he was an imposter, disguised by Polyjuice. They bound him to a chair. McGonagall went to Harry, making sure he was okay.

Seeing them bind imposter-Moody reminded Harry of Jez.

"Professor—my...friend, Jez, she's still at the graveyard—we need to get her back—"

"It's alright, Harry, we'll get Miss Riddle," Dumbledore said reassuringly.

Snape's head snapped up. "Jez Riddle? Jezebel? She's here?"

"She has been at Hogwarts all year, Severus, but as I understand it she is with her father at the graveyard now?" Dumbledore looked to Harry for confirmation, and he nodded.

Snape had a hard look on his face. "If he's harmed her..."

Harry was shocked by the concern he had for Jez.

At last the Polyjuice faded, and Harry saw Moody become a sandy-haired man, who he had seen before.

"Barty Crouch, Jr."

* * *

Harry lay in his bed, listening to Hermione's quill scratch parchment. Ron and Hermione were with him, sitting in a comfortable silence.

Fudge hadn't believed that Voldemort was back. Dumbledore had given cryptic directions to the Weasleys, Sirius, and Snape, something about gathering people.

Harry was regaining his strength. His leg was healed, and the gash that Jez had given him. There was a faint scar where Wormtail had taken his blood, but Madame Pomfrey assured him that it would fade.

Many people had sent Harry gifts, a get well sort of thing. The Diggory parents had come by, saying that they didn't blame him about Cedric. That visit had left Harry feeling hollow inside.

Someone had sent him a large box of Chocolate Frogs. His throat closed up every time he looked at it. It reminded him of Jez. He could only imagine what was happening with her at the moment.

The comfortable silence was broken by the hospital wing doors opening. In stepped the most unlikely of visitors—Draco Malfoy.

"Malfoy?" Ron asked in disbelief, voice muffled by the sweets in his mouth.

Malfoy looked uncomfortable. He seemed small and lonely without any Slytherins at his sides. There was a folded piece of parchment clenched in his hand.

"I have something for you, Potter," he said, not looking at any of them. He stood at the foot of Harry's bed, and opened the parchment. He cast a longing eye down at the parchment, then passed it to Harry.

Harry took it, noting how lost Malfoy looked. "Alright there, Malfoy?"

Ron and Hermione gave him weird looks, and Malfoy shrugged uncomfortably. "I miss her."

Harry swallowed. "Right."

Malfoy left without another word.

"That was bizarre," Ron commented.

"What did he give you?" Hermione asked.

Harry looked down at the parchment. It was a letter.

His eyes went to the signature at the bottom. His mouth fell open.

"It's from Jez."

The other two gasped. "Impossible," Hermione said.

Harry read.

_Dear Draco, _

_I miss you. It's Jez. I'm not dead...don't worry. Um. Moody, your Defense professor of all people, Portkeyed me to a graveyard. Turns out that graveyard was the site of my muggle grandparents' house. Harry and Cedric showed up a long time after that. Peter Pettigrew killed Cedric. He brought my father back. _

_My dad is back, Draco. I saw him. It was terrifying...he wanted me to join him. He called his followers to him. Your father was there. I had to curse Harry. He tortured him...he tortured all of them. I can still hear their screams. _

_Harry and my father dueled, and this weird gold light thing happened. While that was going on the Death Eaters were in a mess. I was tied up against a gravestone. _

_Be really nice to your father. He came to me while all the insanity was going on. He untied me, and Apparated to the Manor. He got me out of there, Draco. He didn't have to, but he did. I can't imagine what my father will do to him if he finds out he helped me escape. All he told me was "Tell Draco to be careful." So...be careful, I guess._

_I'm back home now, with Uncle Jack and Aunt Gina. They're terrified. They know he'll come for me, and them too. We need protection. My uncle says Dumbledore can give that to us. _

_So I need you to give the other letter to Dumbledore. Please. To keep us safe. _

_I want you to talk to Harry for me, if he got back. Merlin, I hope he made it back. Tell him I'm okay, and I'm sorry. Ah, don't tell him that. Just give him this letter. _

_Tell Daphne, and Blaise, and Elle, and all the gang that I'm okay. Actually, just tell Elle and Daphne. The others might tell their parents, and then he'll know I'm okay._

_I miss you. I might not be able to see you again, given the situation. Thanks for being wonderful, and sweet, and fun. You're still my best friend. You'll always be my best friend, nothing will change that. But we might have to put the relationship thing on hold. I don't want my father to go after you. _

_I miss you. You can't reply to this letter. Be careful, be safe. _

_Love, Jez_

"She's okay," Harry said, relieved.

"Lucius Malfoy saved her?" Hermione asked in disbelief.

"What does she mean, she might not see him again?" Ron asked.

"Where's the letter for Dumbledore?" Hermione asked, peering at the parchment.

Ron scoffed. "It's with Dumbledore. Duh."

While Hermione glared at Ron, Harry sunk into his bed, closing his eyes in relief. "She's okay..."

Madame Pomfrey entered the hospital wing. "Mr. Potter, the Headmaster says you can leave. The feast is tonight and he wishes for you to be there."

Harry nodded. He folded Jez's letter and put it in his pocket.

"You have to keep that safe," Ron said. "What if one of the Death Eater's kids finds it?"

Harry shook his head. "I'm giving it back to Malfoy. He needs it."

* * *

Dumbledore sat in his office after the bittersweet feast. There were two slips of parchment on his desk. One was Jez Riddle's letter for him. The other was a hastily scribbled note from Sirius Black, with just an address written on it.

He pondered the situation for a long time. Then he took out a fresh page of parchment and picked up his quill. He wrote.

_Dear Miss Riddle,_

_There is a safe place for you to stay. You will be protected at all times by trustworthy witches and wizards. Your entire family may come and stay. I recommend asking your aunt and uncle if they would be interested, and prepared, in joining the Order of the Phoenix. _

_The house you will be staying at can be found at Number 12, Grimmauld Place..._

* * *

**Ta Da. That's the end of Goblet of Fire.**

**Poor Draco.**

**Way to go Lucius! :)**

**Preview for next chapter:**

Harry let a real grin spread across his face in the company of his two best friends. "I've missed you guys so much, what's the latest news-"

"What, don't even say hi to the girl you ditched in a graveyard?"

**Ooh. Gee, who could that be? :)**

**Like I said, I am really proud of this. BUT THE STORY ISN'T OVER. **

**The next chapter will be Order of the Phoenix. **

**THANKS TO KI:MERA (if you get that reference then high-five, you're amazing) AND BACK THROUGH CO:PERN:ICA TO:**

**Bookluver1999**

**shadowkat678**

**Guest (ah, whatever, you made it that far, and you'll probably keep reading :)**

**Skylar97**

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**princesspay10**

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**For favoriting/following/PMing/reviewing/supporting me and the story! keep it coming!**

**OKAY i will not update until this story hits 60 reviews. we're at 47 right now, so... :)I have a lot to do right now, too, so it'll give me a small break from writing.**

**THANK YOU SO MUCH GUYS! i feel really accomplished. Give me any suggestions for the next part of the story! **

**Right this has been long enough...thanks again! **


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